This information as well as more FAQs about these roadblocks comes from information compiled by Justice Project South Africa. From the beginning of the e-toll saga, Sanral has employed numerous scare tactics to try to get road users to buy e-tags and pay e-tolls. The vast majority of Gauteng road users are still refusing to pay e-tolls and there is currently a committee set up by the Gauteng Premier, which is investigating alternatives to the e-tolls. Do what you wish with this information but just make sure you are informed, and maybe you will even have the same bumper sticker as me: “Proudly e-tag free”.
The second issue, which is much more controversial, is that of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Western reporting has shown the conflict to be evenly matched or has even stated that any attacks from Israel are simply them defending themselves. Israel has a massive army and has backing from military powerhouses such as the USA. Israel has been killing innocent Palestinian civilians with a reported 70% of all deaths being civilian casualties. They have a policy of killing 100 Palestinians for every Israeli killed and have employed this for years. Having said that, one must also be aware that there is retaliation from the Palestinian militants and I do not condone this for one moment. However, if you are in support of or accept what Israel is doing, you should look again. Read both sides of the story and try to understand what is really going on.
I have the utmost respect for those who have different opinions and you are entitled to just that, but it is your responsibility to ensure that your opinions are informed. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Or as Karl Popper said, “True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.”
Michael Reinders
Sport editor