Vetnews | Augustus 2024 48 « BACK TO CONTENTS Well, the elections have come and gone with some very real surprises like Jacob Zuma’s support base which I am sure surprised everyone. The coalition government is now in place and its functioning will be closely watched by the entire world. One thing that is a fact is that coalitions are difficult and require extremely mature politicians with strong leadership if they are to be successful. Good luck and let's hope for the very best for this beautiful land. And yes, it is possible if the politicians look to the people and not themselves. One only has to look at one of the Springbok rugby matches to see the spirit of the people; all shapes, sizes, ages and colours in unison singing the National Anthem! And yes, we all enjoy success which the rugby team has brought in abundance. After the election, some thoughtful citizens suggested to Cyril to start with a major cleanup of all the filth throughout the country and the repair of the potholes. This may sound menial but with a little thought and effort it could be achieved relatively quickly and apart from supplying some menial work it would have an immediate impact. We would all immediately notice the difference. With this trend in mind, it would be marvellous to see the likes of that historical emblem of our profession, Allerton Laboratories, which has played such a significant role in animal production in this Country getting a complete facelift. It was astounding to see the neglect of this amazing facility with totally unkempt gardens and paint peeling off the walls of the entrance hall and passages. Does this represent the veterinary profession and is this what visiting foreign scientists are introduced to when visiting? It surely was never like that in bygone years. Yes, I guess pride is restricted to watches, suits, shoes and very smart cars, not the working surroundings as part of the modern regime. I have not been to Onderstepoort in years and sincerely hope it is not in a similar condition. If one looks at the production of this renowned establishment one has to ask what is going on there too. Vaccines are not available at crucial times or in sustainable quantities or of a standard that is needed. It is not good to be critical without offering some solutions. Well, with that in mind and assuming that Mr John Steenhuizen the new Minister of Agriculture will oversee Veterinary Services I wrote him a congratulatory letter with a few minor suggestions bearing in mind that in one of his opening statements, he stated that he was there to improve the lot of small black farmers; no mention of the food suppliers of the country. And yes within hours of my letter, I got a reply from his office. Should we not all think of doing that when things trouble us? I don’t think it is such a bad idea because many of the vets are at the coal face of animal production and are often the first source of problem identification. If we as a profession were to inundate him with problems we see we may well get a reaction and that is often the start to solutions. Just a thought. v Life plus 25 without parole Mike Lowry Mike Lowry has been in veterinary practice for "life plus 25" years. In this column, he shares his experiences and opinions. Regulars I Life plus 24 +25 Mike Lowry: mikelowry@heritagevet.co.za Pieter Grimbeek: pigvet@agrifarmacysa.co.za Asking all members of the class of 1974 to contact me or Pieter Grimbeek about a class reunion (potentially scheduled for OP in September 2024).
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