I was appalled and disappointed by Zwelinzima Vavi's comments about the ANC hanging on to cabinet members who are "deadwoods", and that some of them are dying in office. His statement was insensitive and irresponsible.

I was appalled and disappointed by Zwelinzima Vavi's comments about the ANC hanging on to cabinet members who are "deadwoods", and that some of them are dying in office. His statement was insensitive and irresponsible.

The ANC has no power to prevent death, so a cabinet member can die while occupying public office. Vavi himself might die in office, because like the rest of us, he does not know when his fateful day will come. But there is no doubt that it will happen.

Vavi's comments suggest that the ANC should detect which cabinet members will die and then quickly remove them from office.

But it is stupid for him to say this because even in Cosatu an office bearer might die at any time. Will the union leadership then be blamed for keeping people in office until they die? If not, why should the ANC be blamed for the same fate?

Vavi seems to be losing sight of the real issues.

He must be careful when talking about death because for all he knows, he might be the one to depart before "dying cabinet members" do. He should know that life on earth is completely unpredictable.

Elia Molekwa, Tshwane