LETTER: Dear Cyril, please stop being rude

It is becoming increasingly apparent from articles in various media that the government no longer bothers to acknowledge or engage with communications from citizens, whether in a private, business or civil-society context.

It used to be that responding to correspondence, quite apart from being polite, was a fundamental component of good governance — no-one should be left wondering whether their contribution, no matter how mundane, has been received and read.

It appears the malaise has now reached the office of the president. Over the years I have written three letters to our presidents. Those addressed to PW Botha and Thabo Mbeki, at times of crisis in our country, were swiftly and politely responded to in a manner that made it clear they had at least been read by some competent person in the president’s office.

The 2018 letter I wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the other hand (posted first on the presidency website and then, after no acknowledgment was received, by registered mail), also at a time of crisis, appears to have disappeared into a black hole, though the post office records delivery of the registered version.

This is simply not good enough. No-one expects the president himself to read every letter, but for his office not to send at least a polite acknowledgment is unforgivable.

Usually the fish rots from the head. In this case the habit of unresponsiveness in SA started in the offices of the police, home affairs and various other departments many years ago, and has now reached the highest levels.

The president needs to reverse the rot.

David Clegg
St James