Calling on politician to stop insulting women… you know who you are!
It’s election fever, and everyone is entitled to support the political party of their choice. Concentrate on your party, promote your own beliefs and leave the public out of unnecessary political mudslinging. Politics should be about serving the community, addressing residents’ concerns and bringing people together, not creating unnecessary divisions and hostility.
As for men who resort to insulting women, it speaks volumes about the way they choose to conduct themselves.
A man who feels the need to belittle and insult a woman in public demonstrates a serious lack of respect, not only for women but also for himself. It also raises questions about the respect he shows towards his own partner.
At the end of the day, we are all adults, and we should know the difference between standing up for our beliefs and stooping to levels that only bring embarrassment.
Let’s remember that election fever will eventually pass, but the relationships we destroy, the friendships we lose and the reputations we damage may never be restored.
Be mindful of your words, respect one another and remember that dignity costs nothing.
-Noenz Moosa Lutz.
Local ANC labels DA & ActionSA as pro-zionist… so why is ANC in bed with DA in GNU & with ActionSA in Tshwane
THE ANC MUST EXPLAIN THIS CONTRADICTION
As a resident, I am deeply concerned by the ANC’s political messaging in our community. The ANC is creating platforms where residents are told not to vote for the DA, ActionSA and other parties because they are labelled “Zionist”.
This is a highly emotional issue and using it in local political campaigning risks creating unnecessary division amongst residents. But the ANC must explain an obvious contradiction.
Nationally, the ANC governs alongside the DA in the Government of National Unity. Here in Tshwane, the ANC and ActionSA work together in the municipal coalition.
If these parties are supposedly unacceptable for residents to support because of their positions on Palestine, why are they acceptable partners for the ANC when it comes to governing?
You cannot tell communities that supporting certain parties is morally unacceptable while cooperating with those same parties when governing arrangements require it.
Meanwhile, our ward faces serious everyday problems: deteriorating roads and potholes, water and electricity interruptions, crime and safety concerns, illegal dumping, neglected public spaces and residents struggling to get municipal problems resolved.
These challenges affect everyone, irrespective of political affiliation.
This is where local accountability must begin. The ANC’s Local, Regional and National leadership must publicly explain its position to residents: What is the ANC’s policy on cooperating with parties it describes or portrays as unacceptable because of their position on Palestine? Why does that standard appear different when the ANC enters governing arrangements with those parties?
And, importantly, what concrete plan does the ANC have to work with its coalition partners to address the service-delivery problems affecting our ward?
Palestine deserves principled and serious engagement. It should not become a convenient political instrument that divides neighbours while local problems remain unresolved.
Residents deserve consistency. If the ANC asks us to hold other parties accountable for their principles, then residents are equally entitled to hold the ANC accountable for its own choices.
-Mr. Baboo – Laudium…
Congrats on CCF on demarcation objection victory… Mooiplaas not part of Ward 61
A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CONCERNED COMMUNITY FORUM (CCF) AND OUR WARD 61 COMMUNITY ON THE DEMARCATION VICTORY.
It has been a long journey, with many challenges and speed bumps along the way. But the CCF and the community kept going.
As a resident and an avid reader of the Laudium Sun, I saw for myself how the CCF included our community throughout the demarcation process. I knew very little about demarcation or what it could mean for our ward. I only remember being told that our votes were not needed because there were 3,000 votes coming from Mooiplaas (this is not speculation) – but I didn’t really understand what that meant or how it could affect us. The CCF changed that and showed us why our participation mattered.
And this is where we have to recognise The Concerned Community Forum.
THE CCF CREATED THE “WE…”
The CCF shared information and involved the community, something that was complicated and unfamiliar to many of us turned into something we could understand and act on. They kept us informed and answered our questions. We went from simply hearing about decisions being made about our ward to understanding what was at stake and realising that we could and should be part of that decision. We objected. We signed petitions. We asked questions. We got involved. They didn’t just inform the community – they mobilised it. They turned residents into participants, and individuals into a collective “WE”.
“Thank you” to the Laudium Sun for publishing each and every response and update from the CCF and our community. Seeing our concerns, our objections and our own contributions in the newspaper showed us that our voices mattered and finally, we were empowered. We became part of something bigger and that we were playing our own small part in protecting our community.
The IEC wards and voting districts have now been published, and Ward 61 remains intact – as it was, and as it should be. The 3,000 voters from Mooiplaas are not part of our ward. This is a victory that was made possible by the CCF. It is about more than demarcation. It is about a community that found its voice and discovered the strength that comes from standing together. Through the Laudium Sun, we also read articles about the struggles that we face in our community. These struggles have brought us closer together and made us realise that if we can help each other, we must.
The CCF did not do this alone, and neither did our community. WE DID THIS TOGETHER. Thank you to the CCF for creating the “WE”.
Thank you to our community for becoming that “WE”.
And thank you to the Laudium Sun for giving that “WE” a voice.
– Mrs R Rangoo.