In an e-mail to DA leader Helen Zille I expressed my surprise that three prominent leaders of her party - Douglas Gibson, Sandra Botha and Sheila Camerer - resigned to take up ambassadorial posts.

In an e-mail to DA leader Helen Zille I expressed my surprise that three prominent leaders of her party - Douglas Gibson, Sandra Botha and Sheila Camerer - resigned to take up ambassadorial posts.

Zille's spokesman Gavin Davis incredulously intimated that such resignations are to be encouraged because the space taken up allowed for a new crop of DA leaders to emerge and take the party forward. He said the practice of retired opposition members taking up ambassadorial posts was not unique.

He vehemently disagreed that the three leaders would have known and applied well before the vacancies became available. I maintained that they would have been well aware that their prospects of successfully obtaining such lucrative positions would certainly not have been possible if they had vigorously criticised the government and the ANC before and during the process of their respective applications.

We can only hope that Cope will be a strong opposition party and have leaders with integrity.

Many politicians from all parties are only in politics to enrich themselves. They care very little for the people who pay their attractive salaries and massive perks. Politics is an extremely lucrative occupation in South Africa.

Frank Hartry, Kingsburgh