It is puzzling and even rather tiresome
how the government keeps trying to seek out presumed malfeasance in various
private industries. The state has returned to fret about the alleged collusions
in the construction industry half a dozen years ago. Of course when large sums
of money are involved not everything is squeaky clean and misuse of public
trust and funds does need to be exposed and punished. However, as the industry
has wearily explained so many times, the capacity and resources of the nation
did need to be allocated carefully in order to meet the expectations of hosting
the Soccer World Cup. The JSE data confirms that the industry did enjoy a
fourfold increase in earnings in the years before 2010. Shareholders and
employees of those companies did benefit. But presumably someone important
feels that he or she did not and so the witch hunt continues.
The ironies, however, are ceaseless. Many
of the stadium location and design decisions were forced on the nation by FIFA,
an organisation that must rank as one of the most corrupt and compromised on
the planet. And closer to home our own parliament erupted into a violent uproar
when the ruling party refused to allow any opposition to the idea that the
nation deserves a president who fails to notice or even be curious when
hundreds of millions of rands worth of renovations take place at his private
home.
Only serious students of the political
scene are able to explain the significance of the rupture between NUMSA and
COSATU. The confusion was compounded
when one newspaper referred to the event as a “rapture”. For most of us, this
all has much the same import as the news that the bowls club has expelled the
croquet club because the members of that section were becoming a bit raucous after
tea and threatening to damage the greensward. At its heart the issue is presumably
about power and then undoubtedly money. Union leaders can depend upon the
reliable cash flow of subscriptions which are deducted automatically from each
member’s salary. It would be interesting to see just how numerous union
membership would be if employees each month had to prioritise their union subscription
against their other spending needs. Unions – and their overarching federation
bodies – would truly have to fulfil a need in that worker’s life before he saw
any reason to send off the money.
Only politicians and bureaucrats could believe
that there will be any real impact from the imminent implementation of the
driver’s licence demerit system. There is already a raft of regulations and
laws which are ignored and not enforced. A great pity because our roads are
very unsafe places these days. What’s the betting that the first drivers to be
slapped with a demerit don’t have valid licences anyway?
The most poignant remark to be aired
about the comet landing event this week was a plea to “Jacob and Angie[1]”
to at least fix the schools so that our children could learn to read. Deep
Space Flight Dynamics could come later. Watching real rocket scientists at work
was a deeply emotional experience. It was only when prodded by their fussing
and anxious PR staff that they reluctantly faced the cameras and explained to
the public – their paymasters – what was happening. Everyone was simply anxious
to return to work and apply their enormous personal skills and expertise to the
team effort. What a contrast to what is happening elsewhere in the world where
ignorance, dogma and superstition are being celebrated and died for.
After last week’s comment about national
sides winning went so badly awry it is best I say nothing today.
James Greener
14th November 2014.
