Minister Rob Davies has been very busy
these last few months alarming as many people as possible with his severely
misplaced policies and views. Before even the recent public expression of
delight at the weakening rand he had been annoying our very important European
investment and trading partners with threats to rewrite the treaties
unilaterally. Despite spending this week apparently running around backtracking
and putting out fires it is clear that there are now considerably more sellers
of rands than buyers. The currency has been dribbling away steadily and its
difficulties are the dominant theme for local investors. Inflation is chugging
steadily upwards and the chances of Governor Marcus and her team ever cutting
the repo rate have now all but evaporated.
With the notable exceptions of Rainbow
Chickens and Impala Platinum most companies reporting this week were coming in
with growth around 15%. This is both quite acceptable and also far ahead of the
country as a whole where second quarter GDP growth was reported at 3%. Nonetheless the All Share seems to have
shelved its plan to keep on climbing and the markets have gone a little quiet.
The unspeakably tragic conflagration that
is blazing ever more strongly at the eastern end of the Mediterranean
Sea is now also being offered as a cause for the bull’s slight
slow down in global stock markets. Even our own recently capped Honorary Doctor
Jacob Zuma seems to have found the time to notice that things have turned nasty
there and offered some advice on what to do.
So the ENatis database of drivers and vehicles
is flawed and nearly useless? I'll bet it is. The only halfway reasonable
records will relate to those of us who have been brought up to respect and obey
authority, to fill in forms diligently and accurately and who have stayed at
the same address for years and years. Unfortunately for us it is in our culture
to do these things and that is as good as having a bull’s eye tattooed on our
forehead and wearing a T-shirt bearing the message: “Taxpayer”
There may not have been a sardine run
here in the kingdom this year, but there is a rash of statues for people to gaze
upon. A double life-size image of reigning King Goodwill Zwelithini has been
completed and awaits positioning and unveiling. The Zululand
district mayor feels sure that she will find a place in Ulundi "where
visitors will see it and where it (will) inspire tourists to stop and
appreciate it.” The problem is that earlier this week another statue was
unveiled in the town. Apparently the same authorities decided that a sculpture
of local politician Mangosuthu Buthelezi to mark his 85th birthday would also be
money well spent. Reportedly there are already several other statues of
assorted worthies dotted around the town, so sites are getting scarce. At the
new Durban
airport, however, a location for the also newly completed replacement statue of
Goodwill’s great grandfather, Shaka, is ready and waiting. The original art
work placed there when the airport opened a few years ago was condemned and
dragged away. Apparently it failed to convey the man’s warrior-like spirit. I
hope the new image doesn’t scare the tourists.
The ‘bokke didn’t look too clever in
their second outing against the Pumas at home
and the Wallabies and All Blacks are looking daunting again. I expect
warm words of thanks from the chaps at the bowling club tonight for the lesson
the Lions gave last week on how to deal with the Blue Bulls. Their team, the
Sharks, have been battling to look convincing so far this Currie Cup.
James Greener
30th August 2013
