The exposure of the horror that goes on at Frere Hospital because of administrative meltdown must not blind us to the basic flaw in our democracy.

The exposure of the horror that goes on at Frere Hospital because of administrative meltdown must not blind us to the basic flaw in our democracy.

We have a top-heavy political party which has barged through the constraints of apartheid and pushed aside government personnel of every type. Most replacements were appointed because of loyalty and connections to the ruling party rather than ability.

Dishonesty and cover-ups are part of the daily diet. We have massive corruption as those in power try to hang on to power and position.

The ANC is running down the public sector with its political appointees and allowing the best of them to flee to the private sector or abroad.

Ho spitals are understaffed and under-resourced. Brazil pays doctors and nurses double to work in poor rural areas . The opposite happens here.

We will hear of many more Frere-style crises and then the issue will be officially forgotten. This will happen as long as we have a system of "affirmation" of any group or person on any other basis than competence and commitment to doing the job. Affirmative action only puts in leadership positions people who are "poep" scared of losing their salaries.

It must be ended and race classification finally assigned to the dustbin of history.

Costa Gazi,

Pan Africanist Congress