No ear for voice of reason

FULL marks plus an honourable mention to you for your leader of January 12, “Violent disruption despicable”.

Everyone has the democratic right to protest, but such protests should be within the norms of a democratic society. Preventing law-abiding members of the public from going about their business, and also putting their lives at risk by stoning passing vehicles, can never be condoned. Such behaviour must, in fact, be strongly condemned and is deserving of the most stringent sanctions.

What strikes me about “service delivery protests” though, is that it is not those who actually pay rates and taxes who take to the streets to sow chaos and mayhem, but rather those in receipt of the largesse paid for by those same rates and taxes.

It is not as if ratepayers do not have cogent reasons for complaint. Their grievances are legion, but they do not disrupt and destroy. No, they rather make irate phone calls to municipal officials, or bend the ear of their councillor, or even dash off angry letters to TotT!

But what sticks in the craw, is that ratepayers are fobbed off when they complain, while the purveyors of lawlessness and sedition are treated with kid gloves. It is obvious that the authorities lack the testicular fortitude to deal with violent protesters.

DERRICK FELLOWS