Why must I pay for new number plates?

I'M A 27-year-old Indian lady from Phoenix and want, through your newspaper, to ask the ANC government: Why do I have to spend my hard-earned money on something as unnecessary as changing my car's number plates.

- SAISHA RATHILAL

I got them legally, not through any form of bribery or corruption, so why should I spend my hard-earned cash changing my car's number plate? With the old number plates it was clear who out-of-town folk were and we consequently gave them a little more leeway.

For all their faults, the National Party government knew what they were doing in this respect. Did all in the ANC plan their system of vehicle registration as well as the Nats did? My parents told me how the ANC made money from people when driving licences came out on a card (replacing the ones in the green ID books).