Why applaud the inflated greed of retailers?

Our family does a lot of shopping at Shoprite (if only because there is little alternative in Hout Bay where we live).

Apart from often appalling service and hopelessly inadequate and very often wrong price-marking of merchandise, we have found that prices of all old merchandise on the shelf and new merchandise increases as a matter of course every Monday when a whole group of staff re-label just about everything. The increases are phenomenal — and, when taken over a month, far exceed official figures of inflation.

The re-marking alone (always up only) of merchandise on the shelf must be a major source of income for the company.

Concerned so-called experts and people allegedly in the know tell the public that world market prices of wheat, steel, sugar etc have increased and that ever higher petrol prices play havoc with bottom lines so retail prices — ever so sorry — have to go up.

But the truth is that so-called world market prices do come down, as do petrol prices, and that at those moments no retail prices come down at all but instead keep on rising as fast as ever.

The sad fact is that the average South African gets little to no benefit from all the good things that happen and are available here. We have strong agriculture and just about all the minerals one can think of.

Why is food in the Far East cheaper and of better quality than what we get here? Why must the price of cement — just to mention one item — mined and made locally, be increased time and again to become what is probably the most expensive cement in the world?

As with all stock exchanges and banks, the answer is simple. Greed and unbelievable chasing of mega profits.

Just as the Telkoms, Sasols and the like do not deserve applause, neither does Shoprite. — Eduard Sjouerman, Hout Bay

Who's who of corruption

I have been impressed by the overzealousness with which the National Prosecutions Authority has discharged its tasks recently. It's time to investigate the North West.

There is suspicion of rampant corruption going on in this province in proportions that can even embarrass the capital of sleaze, Mpumalanga.

The NPA should investigate the many millionaires in this province who have neither won the lottery nor inherited from wealthy parents.

Many municipalities circumvent the system by channelling most of their funds through the Mayors' resolution or the Mayors' special projects. Many funds in these accounts are at the discretion of one person with no accountability to council.

Unravelling many of these excesses and abuses of state resources will prove to all and sundry that the NPA is an impersonal tool of the state and that it is not used to level political scores. The multitudes of ordinary people who detest the opulence displayed by the new Buppies will be overjoyed with the National Prosecutions Authority. Willie Hofmeyr's Asset Forfeiture Unit should follow in tidying up after the NPA. — Tommy Ditshego, Jouberton Township, Matlosana

We need education, not arms

If the present government had really had the people's interest at heart it would not have gone and bought all those useless defence force items which lie idle and are not necessary anyway — and Jacob Zuma and all the other ANC top brass would not be so afraid of the public finding out the truth.

If we had not spent all those billions of taxpayers' money on arms, it could have been spent on education, the most important requirement for any person.

Was it not one of the reasons the youth rioted during apartheid and now it's one of the most important requirements if we want to become a winning nation?

Surely if you are innocent you do not need to go to all the expense and trouble and waste of the court's time to prove you are not hiding something.

But it seems that kind of logic is not understood by our present South African voters because the present government has not done the most basic requirement needed for a real democracy — to educate the people.

The only conclusion one can come to is that with all the effort that was taken in the first few years by the Madiba government, the African people still have an inbred hate for the past and will rather destroy this wonderful land than join hands with all the other South Africans of whatever race and make this a winning nation. — Brian SJ Wilson, Table View

Cut boldly, Mr Governor

The decline in the economy — caused mainly by the sustained increases in the interest rates over many months — has caused numerous industries to scale down and retrench or to shut down.

Many more businesses are desperately holding out for the next interest rate cut to finally determine if it is worth it to hold on any longer or to close shop. In the small and medium business sectors, the option to retrench or to cut salaries is an extremely emotional and painful one to handle because of the close personal relationships developed with employees and their families over many years.

Many businesses feel that a demoralised and demotivated staff complement in this environment will only serve to exacerbate the situation and would rather opt for closure.

An analysis of the needs of many businesses indicate that an interest rate cut of at least 400 basis points is required to change solvency dramatically and give hope to hold out and ride the storm.

Businesses are committed to hold out for a few more months if the Reserve Bank shows its commitment in the next interest rate announcement.

However, the history of interest rate adjustments show that this may be a pipe dream unless the Reserve Bank can be bold and patriotic.

Alternatively, the Reserve Bank needs to announce in advance its intention to drop the rate by 100 basis points consistently over the next four to six months to avoid extremely disastrous consequences to the economy. The destruction of businesses and job losses will be on its hands. Time is of the essence. The country waits with bated breath.

Source: Sunday Times

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