Readers' views via SMS

THE municipal increases are proposed at 13%. We are not getting our money's worth, judging by the service we receive.

BARACK Obama is currying favour with Benjamin Netanyahu to such an extent that he seems to have forgotten the struggle most African states had to gain their independence from the colonisers. Roots – Barack, yours seem to lie in Israel. Dignity, human rights, respect, freedom from the oppressors – fight on, Palestine.

JUNE Kaplan, I agree 100%. Why should East London have Quartet, for example, and Port Elizabeth missed out again? Ster Kinekor say not enough copies. Bad planning!

THANK you June Kaplan. I and many others too would like to know why we in PE are sidelined and not able to get top movies. Please try to get them for PE!

TP says "no civilised country accepts SA medical qualifications". Rubbish! Where do you think all our doctors are going when they leave us? They are snapped up! Our son, UCT MBChB, works in a US hospital. Civilised countries are very happy to accept our doctors.

THANDILE Kona, if African blood is sacred as you put it, then why is it that so much of it is spilt in Africa? I am afraid that there is a thirst for blood in Africa, not respect for it. Life means nothing here!

NO matter how strongly you feel about Brent Cunningham, no sane magistrate in the world would or could sentence him to life. To suggest so is absurd and ridiculous. After all he could only be guilty, it would appear, of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He will get between 18 months and five years if convicted.

EDWARD Gutsche, I support your sentiments. The people do not have the know-how of what needs to be done. I said the same – if I was a boss in the metro I would probably fire the whole box of dice within a week, with no deployments.

XANAVIN, you must be deaf and blind if you believe that booing does not occur down under. All older rugby fans remember that this unfortunate practice actually originated in New Zealand. Incidentally, did you watch the Reds-Force match? If you did, you could not have been unaware of the booing and heckling directed at the Force from the home side.

THE Splash Festival is unAfrican, just ask Jacob Zuma. Why bother?

THE Splash Festival organisation is a real fiasco. The municipality so dysfunctional it couldn't organise a p***-up in a brewery!

NO Splash after 23 years? It can only be the metro municipality that continues persistently to mess up any good that happens in Port Elizabeth. The one good thing that PE has going and the metro messes up as usual. Just award the contract to anyone before it's too late! Rather a Splash than no Splash! PE is fast becoming a complete washout! Municipality, wake up before it's too late!

I DRIVE in Kempston Road every day, and see how the IPTS lanes are used by buses, taxis, normal vehicles and even motorcyclists! I see daily how taxis and buses go through red robots in these lanes at the intersections, causing chaos. Where are our traffic department officials? You could make millions of rands on fines, so go get them.

IT is hard to witness all of these huge IPTS buses going up and down Marine Drive all day, every day with no passengers. Are there any business brains in this council? Shocking.

THE IPTS is a failure. It has been launched about seven times. The roads have been a mess since a year before the 2010 World Cup.

IPTS: corrupt officials must be charged. There is no excuse for late buses, they have their own lanes. The IPTS must publish a better timetable. Departure times not constant.

THEY take their jobs, they take their houses and now they take their hard earned money. The EU technocrats are obscene.

KAZEKA Mashologu Kuse, I applaud you for your stance on the police commissioner. However, I would like to point out that the police and the army are there to protect the interest of the masters and not to serve the people. Any attempt by the people to change the status quo will be dealt with in a violent manner. It's time to wake up to this fact.

SKINNERBEK, please balance your social trips around the Bay. It can't always be in Central. I so wish you were at the small Centenary Hall on Sunday – pics available.

STAN, you and all our readers are welcome to send your pictures to Skinnerbek at e-mail diary@timesmedia.co.za – The editor

IT'S a known fact that transformers on high poles spark due to high kW overloading and start veld fires.

NEW NMB mayor Ben Fihla draws mixed reaction from unions, while the newly appointed municipal manager has already missed some important meetings and while a court battle around a disputed R174-million is looming, involving former acting city manager Themba Hani. The municipality has decided to distance itself from Hani and is going to court. Yebo, NMBM is sitting on a ticking time bomb.

HOW can people complain about violence at rugby when it is obvious that rugby is violence?