Thank God at least the Canadian government has the guts to point out the deficiencies in President Thabo Mbeki's disastrous "quiet diplomacy". His ten-page letter to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien made no more sense than the ramblings of his weekly ANC Today newsletter dated 8-14 November 2002.

Fourteen million people in southern Africa face starvation largely because of Mbeki's Zimbabwean policies. Six million South Africans will die of AIDS related causes, a holocaust compounded by Mbeki's incomprehensible views on HIV/AIDS. Our education systems is in a shambles and the Cape Times reports (November 20, 2002) "schools told to axe more teachers".

Your editorial "G-8 must smarten up" does Africa no favour. It is not the Group of Eight that "must smarten up", but Mbeki's corruption-riddled administration.

Illustrating the malaise, you also report: "Auditor-general gives a clean bill of health to finances of Coega project" (Business Day, November 21) "irregularities would have been a hefty blow to credibility".

That the auditor-general and the Chapter 9 institutions had already lost their credibility after their arms deal whitewash was confirmed by the judgment against them earlier this month.

Mbeki's intervention to purchase three German submarines against Ferrostaal's stainless plant at Coega has morphed into a condom factory at East London in which his wife reportedly has a financial interest. The Coega report is confirmation that the New Partnership for Africa's Development is a "dead duck" in both SA and countries to the north. The rest of the world hasn't the patience to bother when vacillating politicians do their damnedest to destroy our continent.

With acknowledgements to Terry Crawford-Browne and Business Day.