I smell a banana - reflections on South Africa in 2008

By Hajira Amla | 23 January 2008

Ever since the Mbeki vs. Zuma debacle began, South Africans have been watching on the sidelines as our country progresses from bad to “Days of Our Lives”.

Power struggles seem to abound everywhere you look these days, whether it’s within the African National Congress, between the police and the Scorpions, or between the state broadcaster and the Sunday newspapers. Many of these catfights and shady deals have brought an immense burden upon the man on the street.

The rift within the ANC that seems, regrettably, to have swung in favour of the corrupt and avaricious within the party, has brought despondency to many who had heretofore believed in the rule of law. The other day I asked my five-year-old daughter if she knew who made the laws of South Africa – and instead of replying “the Govender” (her rather cute way of saying the Government), she surprised me by telling me that the ANC made the laws of the country! A truer answer to that question could not have been found, I reflected ruefully.

After the National Executive Committee (two of whom are currently under investigation by the Scorpions) resolved to disband the Scorpions last weekend, it leaves little hope that graft within the government will ever come to an end. Helen Zille and co. can make as much noise as they like, but with a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the ANC can pretty much do as they like and we all know it.

Another example of incompetence from our leaders: the refusal by the Department of Minerals and Energy / Parliament a few years ago to allow state energy company Eskom to expand on the national power supply system. The result: ancient and badly maintained power stations, substations and infrastructure that is on its knees. “We didn’t forsee the extent of Johannesburg’s economic growth” whines Eskom’s CEO Jacob Maroga. Who on earth could have guessed that 5 million Zimbabweans would have chosen to stay in a place like Johannesburg and invited all their friends when they could have returned to Zimbabwe and made papier mache hats from Zim dollars?

Add to that the BreadGate scandal: Tiger Brands colluding with their cronies to fix the price of bread, defrauding the South African public of millions of rands. When they get caught? “Please pay R99m. Do not pass Go”. Did anyone ask who the philanderers actually paid the ninety-nine million Rand fine TO? Did it go back into the pockets of the public? No - that’s not the way “things” work over here.

Now Tiger Brands is – yet again – increasing the price of bread and all the other bakeries are likely to follow suit. Yawn.

To add insult to injury - the interest rate goes up for the umpteenth time because of inflation – viz. high food prices (thanks, Tiger Brands!).

Is it just me or is the South African air smelling slightly of bananas these days?