28 years ago in 1994 the ANC was warned to upgrade the country’s power infrastructure and that if it didn’t South Africa’s power grid would collapse! Its happening right now!
Personally, I don’t blame De Ruiter for this. He was unfortunate enough to be asked to fix a disastrous power situation brought on by a series of totally incompetent inadequately trained and sometimes poorly educated power management and staff of technicians; and crumbling power stations who were and still are powerless to stop the rot and keep the lights on. I don’t think any of the power management gurus knew how big and how fast things would deteriorate on the grid. Someone had to be the scapegoat to take the blame for recent power disasters, and unfortunately De Ruiter was IT! However, he was generously compensated for his continuing woes by receiving huge bonuses.
I have never seen another country where it seems that the more people fail to do their duties to our citizens, and steal and destroy; the more they are rewarded.
Another thought provoking and disturbing possibility is that private companies that provide ancillary services to Eskom are deliberately allowing power stations to trip, because that way, they stand to gain more financially, because healthy power stations do not need much servicing.
And where was Cyril when all this was going on?? – hobnobbing with his buddy Biden in the USA on how to save the world from global warming no doubt; among other topics; although I doubt whether that particular chat session will save us all from extinction, due to THAT PROBLEM; thereafter, he was whisked away to attend the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Couldn’t he have sent a diplomat to attend?
It’s amazing to me how Cyril is always MIA when the S … T HITS THE FAN?
Can you imagine the effect on a huge number of businesses who are trying to provide services to customers and colleagues in their supply chain, when suddenly they have to budget for double the amount of petrol to run generators, just to keep everything running?
Brenda and I at Busy Bee Editing are struggling to keep our small business on track, because, without any prior warning; we are told that our cost for electricity for our laptops, lights etc have doubled. We try very hard to keep our prices for editing as low as possible but if things continue as they are, we will have no choice but to increase our prices.
This kind of ripple effect must be tightening the screws on so many small businesses throughout the country; which will definitely negatively affect the economy, as it has often been said that small businesses are the engine of growth in our country. Then; inevitably, prices for our exports will have to increase. Hyper inflation will soon follow – just like Zimbabwe where citizens were walking around with wheelbarrows full of almost worthless cash.
The only positive bit of sunshine in view to me is the 1000 MW of power allegedly being bought from IPPs (independent power producers) i.e. NOT COAL! If this is going to be a growing trend from here on then; hopefully we as a nation, may be able to break out of the stranglehold of coal driven power controlled by the ANC government. We can only ‘hold thumbs’ on that one!
As we drive around Cape Town and The Overberg, we are struck by the number of business and residential rooftops that are now displaying large arrays of solar panels. Clearly those who have the vision AND THE MONEY to install such an array as they can foresee how alternative power is the way of the future.
The ANC top movers and shakers such as; Ronald Lamola, Mmamoloko Kubayi, Paul Mashatile, President Ramaphosa Nkhosazane Dlamini Zuma and Zweli Mkhize are talking big and hustling to gain support for the elective conference in December but that will all come to nought if there is a severe contraction of the country’s economy, which looks quite likely; as then the ANC will have EVEN LESS MONEY THAN IT HAS NOW, to spend on fancy electioneering. Individual ANC top cadres should stop vying for support from the branches; and instead concentrate on supporting the party as a whole; because, according to the polls, the party is in real danger of losing to the more radical group described above.
The whole problem with our country has been and still is that TOO MANY POWERFUL, WEALTHY PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY HAVE THEIR FINGERS IN TOO MANY IMPORTANT PIES AND CONTINUE TO ENRICH THEMSELVES with no thought for the rest of us who simply want to live reasonably well.
The problem is that, unlike other supposedly democratic countries in the world, our political and particularly voting structures are seriously overweighted in favour of the ruling party, so no other opposition has a snowball’s change in hell of getting into power – thus we have one incompetent and totally corrupt party in power for 28 years and counting … In practice; this amounts to a totalitarian government, like China or Russia; in other words, a dictatorship!
28 years in power! Surely it’s not healthy not to have a change in government for so long? South Africa needs a change; a breath of fresh air. It’s a new world we live in now and our governing structure should reflect that. The REVOLUTIONARY voices need to be heard more. they need to ring out the message that some kind of radical change is needed.in oui country – YES – REVOLUTIONARY! The ANC does not own that word! It should be a rallying cry for all those, no matter the colour of their skins, religious or political or philosophical persuasion they ascribe to, who are crying out for and demanding CHANGE and the sooner the better!
CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY!
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