Randolph If you believe all the news, we’re completely bankrupt. There’s no money to fix potholes and traffic lights in Johannesburg, with the (2010® FIFA® World® Cup®)®* fast approaching. There’s no money to run and maintain Eskom, our electricity provider. There’s no money for the pebble-bed nuclear reactor in the Cape.
Then there’s the wonderful story of how we spent R50 million (almost $7 million) on the Miss World pageant. I don’t even care know who won.
In other news, Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training, and secretary general of the South African Communist Party, was on the radio this week preaching about socialism, including talk of nationalising mines, the Reserve Bank, private health, and so on.
I’m all for socialism when enough people are paying tax, but we only have 5 million tax payers. There are around 50 million people in the country. Bankrupt again.
Coincidentally, Blade Nzimande was one of the new Zuma crowd of politicians who took advantage of an Apartheid-era parliamentary guideline and bought himself a R1.1m BMW 750i. Nice car for a self-proclaimed communist, wouldn’t you say? Morally bankrupt, I’d call it.
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* (Apparently®, FIFA® is® so® full® of® shit®, you® can’t® even® mention® them®, or® refer® to® the® world® cup®, without® permission®. So® I’ve® put® registered® trademark® symbols® everywhere® just® to® make® sure® I’m® not® sued®.)®