Dear Nazeer NoorMohamed and the Editorial team…
I would like to congratulate and commend you and your team, for providing outstanding local news to the community of Laudium and its surroundings for more than three decades. Media is an important component of civil society, and you have found a niche for community news that is not covered by the mainstream media. I enjoy reading the “Laudium Sun” because, after all, “local is lekker.” Over the years, I have been enthralled by your wide range of covering local community news from the good to the bad, from the happy to the sad:
- your tongue-in-cheek witty headlines (see examples below) are a healing salve to the often tragic news that we have to endure on regular basis; please continue with this witty writing style, since it is noticed and appreciated
- you have diligently covered the rampant crime that is plaguing this community like a rabid pandemic that is out of control: it is a great pity that there are no vaccines to make criminals into honest human beings
- you have tenaciously highlighted the social injustices that are rampant in this community whether it is drugs, teen pregnancy, STD’s, care of the elderly and domestic abuse among many other ills of society
- you have marvellously shed a spotlight on the celebratory achievements of young graduates and scholars that serve as a motivational input for others to strive harder in their studies. Surely, such marvellous achievements highlights the rich intellectual resources of professionals and business leaders that form part of this varied and dynamic community
- you have meticulously documented the poor infrastructure maintenance such as sink-holes, pot holes, robots, inadequate reservoirs, non functioning street lights, uncut grass and veld, illegal garbage dumping which serves as breeding ground for flies, mosquitoes, rats, mice and other pests
Here is a small sample of eye-catching headlines from the Laudium Sun, Friday, February 10, 2023
- Page 2: Thieves pounce in Ext 3 during “loadshedding” leaving residents in “dark mood”
- Page 3: Armed robbery at “home school” a “lesson”…
- Page 4; Theft from “child welfare” meter box not a “well affair”
- Page 5: Trusting because wearing “khurtas and toppies” … certainly not a “top idea”
Keep up your good work. The community of Laudium and Pretoria is a microcosm of similar communities all over the country who are faced with identical (if not more severe) problems. At the very least, the people in power need to know about the difficulties that this community (and thousands of other communities around the country) are facing on a regular basis.
Community leaders, Mayors and government officials need to be held accountable for lack of delivery service. The gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is simply getting bigger: The poor downtrodden masses are still suffering. This is gross injustice. Where is our humanity? South Africa is a beautiful country with tremendous natural resources (underground) as well as intellectual capital (which is shrinking rapidly because of the brain-drain). We need to eradicate poverty, homelessness, joblessness and crime. With the correct leadership (meritocracy: hiring the right people for the right job based on merit and not nepotism), with high morals, ethics, honesty, dedication, concern for others, empathy for the suffering of the masses and selfless visionary leadership, we can transform South Africa into another Dubai or Singapore. All that it requires is the will of the right people to ensure that our grand-children and future generations live on a land that is filled with peace, harmony, social justice, wealth, prosperity and less than 2% unemployment. How often (hopefully every week) are the people in power having tough problem-solving think-tanks and brain-storming sessions to solve the problems in society, instead of fighting for the right to be in power and wealth? We cannot continue being victims and have a helpless attitude. We need to work together as a society as a TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More.
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” -Napoleon Hill
Your perseverance in covering the news for so many years is a sterling effort on your part and the executive team. May you continue to prosper and grow for many years to come.
Thank you. Warmest regards
Dr Ahmed Adam