Coalitions bill has no chance of being passed before November elections
Thando Maeko’s article refers (“ANC wants one-party control but even own voters back DA coalition”, August 13).
A small observation. Despite some vague comments made about “wanting” the coalitions bill passed before the November election, this is just not possible.
There must be extensive public consultation (likely more than one public hearing per province), as it affects every municipality directly. In addition, the bill was described in the portfolio committee meeting as a section 76 bill, which requires the National Council of Provinces to consult with provincial legislatures. This adds weeks to the process after the National Assembly has passed the bill.
Finally, the president has almost never signed a bill in less than two months after being finalised by parliament. If it is signed immediately there is a risk of a challenge on the grounds of his not applying his mind.
While the bill is described as “stabilising” coalitions, several of the measures proposed over the past three years have not been included in this bill.
Michael Atkins
Via Business Day online
MK party just cannot be seen as ‘left’
In Ziyanda Thando Nzimande’s otherwise valuable article on the new split in the ANC, Jacob Zuma’s MK party is described as “left” (“ANC is consumed by war with itself”, August 13). This is fundamentally wrong.
There is nowhere on the planet where a party whose unelected and kleptocratic leader has spoken of assaulting gay people, sending teenage mothers to a former prison, restoring corporal punishment or elevating aristocratic power over democratic power could be thought of as left.
There is also nowhere on the planet where a party whose members use crude ethnic rhetoric and attack migrants on the streets could be termed left.
It is true, of course, that MK is not a typically right-wing party in the way the FF+, ActionSA or the PA are. However, policy positions such as the expropriation of land without compensation do not automatically make a party left. After all, the 1920 programme of the Nazi Party demanded the nationalisation of businesses and expropriation of land.
MK is a corrupt, socially conservative, ethnically inflected and violently xenophobic authoritarian radical nationalist party. It could be argued that this makes it fall outside the standard ideas of left and right. It could also be argued that it is a very far-right project. It cannot, though, be credibly argued that it is on the left.
Richard Pithouse
Johannesburg
There is no such thing as ‘two Chinas’
The article, “A (long) tale of two Chinas” (August 11), does not convey the truth, nor does it show the readers the right picture. We would like to clarify the following points:
First, there is no such thing as “two Chinas”. The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971 reaffirmed the one-China principle: There is but one China in the world; the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. One hundred and eighty-three countries have established and developed diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China on the basis of the one-China principle, which is a basic norm in international relations and prevailing international consensus and is an important part of the postwar international order. Any country, so long as it is a responsible member of the international community, should abide by this principle. Just like the Western Cape belongs to South Africa, the Taiwan region belongs to China. We highly commend that South Africa has a good record of upholding the one-China principle since our two countries established diplomatic relations in 1998.
Second, the basic principles of China to solve the Taiwan question are peaceful reunification and one country, two systems, which means after peaceful reunification, Taiwan may continue its current social system and enjoy a high degree of autonomy in accordance with the law. The two social systems will develop side by side for a long time to come. One country is the precondition and foundation of two systems; two systems are subordinate to and derives from one country; and the two are integrated under the one-China principle.
Third, China is bound to realise national reunification. We will work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification, but we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. It is in accordance with the Chinese constitution and related laws and is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities.
Fourth, “Taiwan independence” and cross-strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. No matter how the Lai Ching-te authorities collude with external forces and pursue “Taiwan independence”, it will always be a losing cause and nothing will ever change the fact that Taiwan is part of China.
Liang Zhu
Chinese Embassy in Pretoria
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