LETTER: Dear Mr President

• Cliff Buchler, former Managing Editor of Caxton West Rand writes:

Dear Mr President

You’ll probably be surprised, feel belittled and insulted when spotting this open missive directed at a personage of your stature. And that written by an old hack who has no claim to fame, other than filling spaces with the odd letter. But then again I’ve always been led to believe that those who govern in a democracy are the “servants of the people”, so surely I’ve the right to confront you with my thoughts?

And what better time to catch you at your most vulnerable: the aftermath of an election over which you and your party have come unstuck. You’ve not only lost out to unknown independent whippersnappers, but are the cause of the biggest stay-away in our history.

For the first time since coming into power, you must be experiencing what we as communities at large have had to endure, especially during the rotten Zuma reign. Are you feeling dejected? Let-down? Disappointed? Disgusted? Hopeless?

Now you know what your subjects have had to endure while you and your cadres have either participated in or conveniently overlooked outright corruption, starting at the top and snaking its way down to municipal level.

Service delivery for which ratepayers have been charged, has never been prioritised under your watch – except when it came to fiddling with tenders earmarked to do the cleaning up. The stench of heaps of decaying rubbish, potholed roads, smashed pumps and pipes, unmaintained power substations, were, and are still the order of the day.

Your law-abiding citizenry has had to live through the antics of the Zumas and Magashules, who are still free and calling the shots. In fact, no major arrests of felons despite heaps of evidence from the Zondo Commission and investigative media. Can you imagine our frustration at seeing crooks laughing all the way to the bank without the law lifting a finger?

In your post-election speech you call on all leaders to unite to get our country back on track. What about starting with your own party leaders and show us how it’s done? It’s an easy bet that you’re unable to do so, given the wide split in the ranks.

Mr President, for your sake, and ours, it is hoped that you now appreciate the mood of the people, and lead them out of it.

Sincere regards

Cliff