Donkey carts a step in the right direction

At first glance, the news that the North West department of community safety and transport management has forked out almost R800 000 for 20 donkey carts for poor villagers, seems to be just another example of the ANC’s greed.

The carts which, bizarrely, come with a “service plan”, are hideously overpriced, say residents in the area where they were handed out. The story smacks of the ridiculous amounts spent by the then health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on “scooter ambulances” in the Eastern Cape to get patients to hospital at the height of the Covid pandemic.

ALSO READ: North West government spends R780 000 on donkey carts for community

Yet, is what the department did that outrageous? Consider, for a moment, that a basic trailer for a car, made of tubular steel, can cost upwards of R30 000. Also, consider that the donkey carts went largely to women, who are, in the North West and across South Africa, at the bottom of life’s pyramid and need help.

Also, consider that many people in rural areas cannot afford to pay for fuel, so it would have been pointless providing them with bakkies. Perhaps, one day in the future, that might be possible. But, until then, appropriate technology like this has to be used to help out our poor people.