Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/911593
maltatoday SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER 2017 News MALTA needs less cars to solve the traffic problem, not more roads, Altern- attiva Demokratika Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said as a new road expansion project in Attard has been announced. The new road will take up a large amount of irrigated agricultural land. Cacopardo said the government not only had no idea of how to solve traffic problems, but it did not care about agriculture: "It is going to sacrifice the best type of agricultural land. Many are the farmers who depend on this kind of land for their produce." AD's local councillor for Attard, Ralph Cassar said that while traffic was a big problem in the area and plans to build this road have been there for many years, more roads would lead to more traffic. "So a more sustainable solution needs to be found. The government does not want to admit that the problem is that we have too many cars on the roads and a lack of good alternative transport." Cassar said there is demand for a better public transport system which the gov- ernment had to satisfy. "Many buses that pass through Attard do not follow sched- ule, and are often late or full," Cassar said, calling for public transport to be given more priority. "In the case of Attard, it is unacceptable that Transport Malta takes the easy way out, rather than look for alternative and sustainable solutions." It is also worrying, Cassar said, that not many young people are becoming farm- ers. "This sector is being sacrificed for the sake of development when new roads are built over agricultural land." Mintoff letter to Robert Mugabe offering Gaddafi's helping hand IN his twilight years, the recluse Dom Mint- off claimed he was held under surveillance by the Central Intelligence Agency "as di- rected by G.W. Bush". This was Mintoff in 2007, the former La- bour prime minister whose last stand came four years before, fronting an anti-EU organ- isation. Less than a decade before, he forced Alfred Sant into calling an early election. Age was unkind to the indomitable Dom. In 2007, a series of letters he wrote to world leaders were published on a personal blog. His letter to Robert Mugabe, now deposed president of Zimbabwe, was especially re- vealing about his mindset. With it were other letters he had sent to EC president José Barroso and prime minister Lawrence Gonzi, claiming that he was being held hostage in his house, under surveillance of the CIA. Back in 1978, Mintoff had mediated be- tween Patriotic Front leaders Joshua Nkomo and Mugabe on the request of UK Labour prime minister Jim Callaghan, after white Rhodesia was placed under UN sanctions. In his letter, Mintoff – describing himself as an independent socialist of Fabian stock – said he had convened Mugabe and Nkomo at his Delimara home 'l-Gharix' for lunch. His view of Mugabe, the dictator, was a kind one: "Your record is similar to mine and I am sure that in Zimbabwe you have done the correct political and moral duty when you distributed the spoils of freedom to freedom fighters instead of distributing weapons by joining the 'white' overlords and enriching yourself as a dictator." What was Mintoff doing, writing to Mugabe? Offering help. "How can I help you and at the same time help Malta and the rest of humanity (India, China, Korea, North and South, South Af- rica, the Emirates etc…) where I have friends to whom I could introduce you if you do not already know them? "For a start it might help you to go to your meeting with sovereign states via Libya and seek the cooperation of the President of Lib- ya to secure your personal safety. It might even be advantageous both to Zimbabwe and Libya if you and my friend President Gaddafi stopped in Malta and spoke to our people in the best way you may devise." Gaddafi then was four years away from being removed in a bloody revolution that prompted a civil war still raging to this day, and a divided nation that can find no peace. Mintoff's friend, a sponsor of terrorism who gave the Maltese leader a bogey-man with which to chide European powers, was, like Mugabe, destined to be overthrown. L-R: Robert Mugabe with Joshua Nkomo being welcomed in Castille by Dom Mintoff. Now deposed in an army coup, Mugabe was offered a 'helping hand' by Mintoff FLASHBACK 2007 'Attard road expansion will create more problems' - AD