Rousing words don't deliver services

Sue Richardson, Johannesburg: It's wonderful news that the strike is suspended for now, for further negotiations and to allow picketing workers to earn again so they can pay their bills. Maybe life can return to some sort of normality for the many people affected by it - workers, patients, pupils and teachers.

However, it's impossible not to notice the supreme irony of the timing of the call by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka for skilled, responsible and accountable workers in order to provide effective service delivery.

There seems to be an innate contradiction there - skilled personnel need adequate recompense and, with the increased wage demands by unions, there will not be sufficient funds to pay those personnel with the requisite skills or expertise, so service delivery will continue to lag way behind.

It does sound encouraging that there are plans in place, in many municipalities, to drive this skills initiative, but no matter how much the minister emphasises the "need to keep our feet on the pedestal and not relent", without sufficient funds to reimburse skilled personnel the battle is lost before it is even engaged.

Rousing words and encouraging noises do nothing to ensure delivery of the promises made. They simply echo in the empty offices awaiting the skilled staff.