I HAVE read and re-read the news that Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi will ban baby formula if a vote were taken on the issue. I am totally flabbergasted.

There are women like my mother, me and my daughter whose children would have starved to death had they not had the proverbial tin or formula to turn to.

Not every women is capable of breast-feeding her child.

It is totally irresponsible to make women feel inferior or inadequate because her body does not shed litres of milk from her breasts at feeding time.

As it is, the charities that donate breast milk are hardly coping. What are the statistics regarding HIV-Aids mothers breast-feeding their children?

The problem with formula is a lack of education, which begins at the feet of the minister of health.

It is alleged that mothers buy one tin of formula and eke it out for the month for their child.

That is not the fault of the manufacturers of milk formula. Their instructions for feeding are very clearly stated on the tin.

When we have banned liquor advertising, stopped drug abuse, women and child abuse and upgraded the education system, we can start patting ourselves on our backs and consider banning milk formula, because by then we'd have a fairly civilised society.

Every time I think this government might just move forward someone in power comes out with the most idiotic statement, which will no doubt take us all back at least two centuries and which continues to make us the laughing stock of the world.

No wonder our comedians are doing so well!

Cilla Webster, Scottburgh