Don't bring Apartheid to Malta (1)

I am rather perturbed, to say the least, to hear the suggestion made by MP Joe Sammut to introduce separate transport for people of a different colour.

I know illegal immigration is a huge problem for our already over-populated tiny island, but I will not enter into the merits of that problem. Mr Sammut obviously has not experienced Apartheid and its vile consequences as I have.

It is a most degrading system. It spoils the natural beauty of the place where it is implemented. During the Apartheid era in South Africa I boarded an empty train carriage and settled down for the journey, not fully understanding why some of the carriages were so full and the one I was in nearly empty. It was soon made clear when we were told to move to the crowded carriages, as the one we were in was for blacks only .

The same thing happened on a doubledecker bus in Cape Town, when once again I was told to move from the seats near the bus entrance as these were also non-white seats. If God forbid this politician's suggestion is taken up, he would follow in Hendrick Verwoerd's footsteps. I wonder if the Catholic Church would be done away with and the Dutch Reformed Church introduced instead, as this was also racist and fully supported apartheid.

It is reprehensible that such suggestions are put forward in a Catholic parliament.

I am positive that the great statesman Nelson Mandela would be thrilled to meet Mr Sammut and gladly give him a conducted tour of Robin Island.

Hearing these forward-thinking ideas, my great pride at being Maltese with the same Zurrieq Nigret roots as Mr Sammut does wane a little.