Soweto owes more for electricity than the rest of South Africa put together. Soweto is home to 1.5 million people who, between them, owe state power utility Eskom R3.6-billion ($327 million) in unpaid electricity bills. Ten years ago Eskom was forced to write off R1.4-billion in debts owed by Sowetans, creating the impression for residents that they can get away with it. If you remember, when this government entered they said Free electricity for all. Tell me: what does that mean? asks Madiba, a 57-year-old community activist and member of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee (SECC). Thats the bed Eskom made and they are starting to sleep in it. I dont know what else you can actually do, said economist Chris Hart at Johannesburg consultancy Investment Solutions. Although Sowetos outstanding debt is dwarfed by the R225-billion revenue shortfall Eskom says it faces over the next 4-5 years, it is important symbolically as the utility battles to raise money for new power stations needed to keep the lights on in what used to be Africas most advanced economy. There is no clarity on how much the Marikana Massacre inquiry cost South Africas 2.9 million taxpayers. When the inquiry began it was estiimated the inquiry would cost around R75-million but costs have escalated. SA Post Office is begging clients: Dont abandon us, after several branches have been forced to close their doors due to unpaid rental bills. The Post Office’s Martie Gilchrist said: We would like to ask our customers not to abandon us, we really need them. Apart from this, the strike affecting postal services has still not been resolved. The state-owned enterprise owns 660 of its offices and leases 1377 premises. Fracturing of Cosatu could break SA economy A sand castle built on three pillars will collapse Like the ANC itself, Cosatu failed to transition from its apartheid struggle role to being an effective player in a functioning democracy. It’s only now, belatedly, that Zwelinzima (“Tsunami for Zuma”) Vavi is sanctimoniously concerned about the political hijacking of his organisation. Many admire Vavi for many things but he has been off-piste for a long time, playing the very games he now condemns. Check what happened in the platinum belt if you have any doubt about that. As NUM lost its grip and Amcu arose, it was the battle between them for members which caused the longest and most fatal strike. As the metalworkers depart, Cosatu is already promoting a replacement in the sector which means the two rival unions will compete by being seen to be more aggressive than each other in wage claims and strike actions. Moderation will not win members. Negotiations will become a nightmare. Cosatus Seismic Spasms and the impending death of the SA Communist Party-controlled ANC Tripartite Alliance - Will the 100% NUMSA-owned Doves Funeral Services bury them all? Now as the ANC dominance declines, its main alliance partners are coming apart In the past few days the headlines said it all: Has the giant fallen? asks the Africa Is A Country website. NUMSA expulsion could end in train smash, says analyst Terry Bell. Amandla Magazine writes about Reclaiming Our Unions. I have observed developments in Cosatu for the last 22 years since I left the employ of one of its affiliates and I am now convinced that what we have before us is not a mere expulsion of an errant affiliate. What we are witnessing is a split of the federation taking place in slow motion. The expulsion of Numsa was merely the spark that ignited an already highly combustible situation that had been building up since Cosatus last congress. We now know that seven other affiliates and Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi have openly revealed their game plan by supporting Numsa. In addition, significant sections of the unions on Dlaminis side. Recent developments in Cosatu have been nothing short of extraordinary and cataclysmic. It is no exaggeration to say that South Africa is in the midst of the most important political development since 1994. In the meantime some of the dirty washing of the union Solidariteit and its affiliates have also surfaced. Their advantage of course is that white South Africans are the most politically passive people on earth, who tend to complain, while taking the rough rides in their stride. Soldariteits funeral benefit for its members is Doves Funeral Services, which is 100% owned by NUMSA, South Africas largest union recently expelled from COSATU. Their affiliates, like multi racial AfriForum have shown that they could also over-react to conservative opinions like any other typical liberal group. This is making waves through their primary financial support base, the Afrikaners, of whom many have already opted to cancel their memberships and monthly debit orders. Now for the first time is Solidariteit networks affiliations and associations being investigated and questioned by its, thus far blindly faithful, financial support base and this is only just the beginning. They have obviously already chosen sides, because to them it is all just a numbers game and guess which potential market has the least numbers...? It is already becoming obvious that they are closely linked with liberal ex-President FW de Klerk and his FW de Klerk Foundation and that their funeral service provider, Doves which buries all their members, is 100% owned by NUMSA. It is yet to be seen how far these waves will go and what repercussions will follow as its main constituency is sick and tired of being betrayed, abused and sold out. Just as a side issue, Economist Roelof Botha, whom Sanral commissioned to research the impact of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), praised the toll roads and their contribution to the province. He was effusive in his praise, suggesting the agency ought to get a medal for what they have done. Now this Roelof Botha is none other than the son of ex-minister of foreign affairs, Pik Botha. Afrikaner organisations are still being controlled by the same old National Party-Dutch Reformed Church-Afrikanerbond crowd and only once whites realise that as a fact, will they start breaking all those ties and become what they should have been. As in the U.S.A, we are seeing the slow beginnings of the split between left liberal and the conservative right, rather than simply black and white, across South Africa and it is long overdue. This sand castle built by liberals on the shoulders of the media-made hoax called Nelson Mandela, is falling apart and everyone will pay the price for it.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 19:34:40 +0000
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