Thank you for noting ("Our ship sails in", November 4) that 200 000 homes could be built for the original R5.9 billion cost of four corvettes.

Using warships to protect fish is ludicrous, as is now conceded by construction in Cape Town of purpose-built fisheries protection vessels at a fraction of the cost. Our admirals lusted after new toys, but the needs of poverty-stricken South Africans were deemed irrelevant.

The corvette contracts, in particular, are riddled with tendering irregularities and the more the government tries to cover up the arms deal scandal, the deeper it digs itself into the mire.   

When ECAAR-SA's case to cancel the arms deal comes to court on February 17 might we see the SAS Amatola being repossessed?

Any judgment that the arms deal contracts are unconstitutional will mean the financial consequences of cancellation will be borne by German rather than SA taxpayers.

Hopefully our government will then address the priorities of poverty eradication.

With acknowledgements to Terry Crawford-Browne and the Cape Argus.