Leave race out of it

Please allow me the opportunity to respond to one of the letters, more specifically, ‘Letter of the week’ (25 April 2014) edition titled, ‘Communities should learn to embrace harmony’.

I started reading this letter and at first I thought it was a well addressed letter with some very valid points about culture, religion and languages which I agree with, until I got to the point towards the end of the letter where Councillor Thabede started losing focus of his initial grievances, and brought race into it, (‘it seems to be a racial or political issue.’).

Why must the racial card always be played for certain ethnic groups to get their points noted?

It has nothing to do with race, it is not us white people that are having an issue with the Shembe church in the Birdswood area, but your ANC-led municipality.

It was not a white political leader or councillor that addressed the Mandlazini community in their community hall, or that angered the community to such an extent that a protest march was launched the following morning that brought Birdswood to a standstill.

As a matter of fact, the community demanded that the leader (not white) be removed from office.

My personal opinion is that Councillor Thabede is using your medium to voice his own personal frustrations against people of other races.

He also has the audacity to say that this is what late president Mandela fought for.

Madiba fought for equality among all, a better South Africa for all, a democratic South Africa for all, and not for black, white, Indian and coloured South Africans to blame each other for their various shortcomings.

KOBUS GERMISHUYS