How things have changed.

How things have changed.

The report of luxury vehicles recently purchased for eThekwini mayor Obed Mlaba, as well as the photograph of him and four of his bodyguards in a newspaper some weeks ago, reminded me of a time during the 1950s when I lived in Europe - in a town almost as large as Durban.

We lived in a council house and only two doors down, in a house just as ordinary as ours, lived the mayor of our town and his wife.

I well remember that they had no bodyguards and that he drove his own 1930s Ford car.

In fact, the only luxury he and his wife appeared to have was a chauffeur-driven ancient black London taxi-type car, placed at their disposal for official occasions only.

When they travelled there were no convoys or blue lights and the back of their official car always seemed to be open, so that the crowds could see them and cheer as they passed.

Ah, yes, I remember something else as well, that because of their modesty and dedication to and consideration for the people they genuinely served, they were greatly loved by the people of our town.

How things have changed.

Frank Hartry, Kingsburgh