AS THE truck drivers' strike starts to bite, with shortages of everything from fuel to cash at ATM machines, I wonder what opinion would be expressed by a random sampling of truck drivers about the government's recent activities.

As one of the few much-abused taxpayers, I know how I feel when I hear about the R203-million budget for the upgrade of the presidential palace at Nkandla and the enormous R5-billion bailout for the national airline. And I am not a truck driver with basic salary grievances.

So how must those truck drivers feel on hearing about these sums being almost literally thrown away on irrelevant and unnecessary expenses when they feel their salaries are so far below what they need.

While violence and intimidation are never the answer, the intensity of the anger is entirely understandable. Without the delivery of basic goods, and the provision of basic services, already crisis warnings are being sounded across the country. And that's after just two weeks.

The lack of delivery of the absolute basics, like water and electricity, has been an issue for a while. Surely, even a blind man can see that these obscene amounts represent the government "flipping the bird" to taxpayers, truck drivers, miners and the rest of the population?

Is it any wonder then that people are angry? - Sue Richardson, Johannesburg

I WISH I could understand the logic of some strikes. Why do people have to be intimidated when they're not involved in any strike activities?

I don't understand why I have to fight someone else's battle when I have my own to deal with.

Some, if not most, strikers have a funny way of voicing their grievances.

You find people fighting over service delivery, but blocking the roads and causing an inconvenience to the masses who are not even involved in that service delivery.

Striking cripples our economy - big time.

I believe that if you feel disadvantaged by a job, why not quit?

I might be wrong, but I don't and won't support that kind of behaviour. - Mandla Jacob Tshabalala, Protea Glen