OUT OF AFRICA
The worst job
in the world?
Wanted: Business
genius with a high tolerance for cyanide, company car and free torch batteries
provided.
Guess who is on
the hunt for a new CEO after a fatuous cabinet minister drove the last one out
with fatuous accusations of treason. Eskom are advertising the job, possible
the biggest poisoned chalice (pardon the pun), in the world. Whoever is brave
enough to make a bid had also better have a high tolerance for vitriol seeing
as President Ramaphosa shows no signs of firing Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe
for a childish outburst that went close to being criminal libel.
Who is likely to
apply? Well. Given the ANC’s current lack of funds with an election looming, a
few fly guys might see it as a chance to ingratiate themselves for life.
Otherwise we need a cross between Atilla the Hun, the Pope and Albert Einstein.
A hatred for all things green and a tolerance to coal dust in his lungs might
also be a blessing.
The worst Police
Minister in the world?
Another promising
young life snuffed out by gang violence, this time in Durban’s Wentworth. No
doubt to be followed by our redoubtable Minister of Police huffing and puffing
like rogue Chinese hot air balloon and
promising immediate action. Then he will get back to his REAL work, making sure
all his pals get promoted to high places whether they are competent our not.
No wonder policing
expert Dr Johann Burger has warned South Africa could become a mass murder hot
spot like Mexico or Colombia. If you live on the Cape Flats, you probably think
it has happened already. If you live in a Bryntirion mansion like Bheke Cele
you probably don’t think about it at all. Or so it seems.
This Blog’s investigative
journalism award goes to…
While corruption
and murder stalk the land Business Insider has made a startling discovery – the
claw machines popular in every amusement arcade are RIGGED.
They have
mechanism that enables operators to ensure not too many people are able to grab
a teddy bear for their admiring youngsters and it is being used to ensure
operators make a PROFIT.
Well who would
have thought it. And congratulations to all those dedicated journalist who
spent countless hours disguised as fruit machines as they watched those fiendish
operators rigging the odds. Now maybe they can drop the disguise and expose
some of the real ills of this wicked old world.
January 3
Decision time
for Malema
There is probably
no bigger threat to South Africa’s democracy than the ever-increasing efforts
of the mob to browbeat courts into doing its will. It began with Zuma’s rape
trial and has grown worse with the latest version being a “protest” demanding
the Magistrate in the Malema firearms trial recuse herself.
It is of course a
classic fascist tactic, originally perfected by Hitler’s thugs as they sought
to control Germany. It needs to be stopped and I for one would stand up and
cheer if the police went in with full force to break these mobs up. I would
also salute legislation which banned demonstrations within a kilometer of any
court.
Meanwhile the
Commander in Chief of the Economic Freedom Fighters can call his mob off immediately
– if he wishes. He would do well to do so because, with an election looming
next year, it is time he stood up and showed the country whether he wants to be
viewed as a political leader or a mere gang boss.
South African
voters treasure their democracy and will not be impressed by someone who thinks
he can stand up and shout whenever he doesn’t get his way - as he did during
yesterday’s hearing.
Reporters
without gumption
Bit close to home
but there was a nasty riot in Centurion yesterday when land invaders attacked householders
in London Lane. Walls were destroyed, an attempt was made to burn down one of
the cottages in the complex where I lived until recently and a thatched house
was set on fire.
How do I know?
Through Facebook messages because neither News 24 nor the Pretoria News section
of IOL had a line about it despite a busy road having to be closed.
All part of the
trend in the industry to ignore any news that isn’t served up as a digital
Press release thereby saving reporters from having to drag themselves away from
the coffee machine.
Are we just
useful idiots?
Petro SA is desperately
looking for a partner that can provide oil to enable it to restart its Mossel
Bay refinery. Strange, we had a possible partner here the other day in the form
of Russian Foreign Minister Zergei Lavrov, who was greeted with great enthusiasm
by his South African opposite number Naledi Pandor.
Russia has been
lavishing cheap oil on its other Brics supporter India but it seems it has none
for us – unless Naledi was so star struck she forgot to ask. Or is it just that
Russia regards us as the useful idiots Karl Marx spoke of. Thanks for the support
but don’t bother us.
January 2
Spurred into
action
SA Tourism’s
proposed R1billion sponsorship deal with English Premier League side Tottenham
Hotspurs has oppositions parties jumping up and down. So incensed is the DA
that it is sending a team to Spurs to find out what is going on.
Wrong destination
guys. Be a lot cheaper to fly to Rwanda. Rwanda sponsors Arsenal, top of the league,
for $39 million and is about to sign a deal to sponsor PSG ladies team and gain
stadium branding for another $11 million.
Rwanda is amongst
Africa’s more prosperous nations despite a gruesome past and should be able to
provide some solid evidence as to whether this sort of advertising works.
Admittedly Arsenal are top dogs but they don’t get much more TV coverage than
Spurs so this plan should be analysed and not buried by “not invented here”
political hacks.
At least they ain’t
sponsoring Bafana Bafana.
Malema jumps
on the gravy train
The latest fashion
amongst accused South Africans is to scream and shout and demand someone or
other recuses themselves – and brother Julius, never one to be left behind, has
used this ploy in demanding magistrate Twannet Olivier recuse herself from his
firearms case, because she asked a witness questions to get clarity.
Whether his whinge
is valid is up to Ms Olivier, but what struck me was the blaring headline Times
Live put up: “EFF supports Malema’s application for recusal of Magistrate in
firearms case.”
Someone at TL has
forgotten the old saw – dog bites man is NOT news, man bites dog IS news. The fact
that the EFF would happily support JuJu if he claimed to be the second coming falls
in the dog bites man category.
Nothing to
complain about
Namibia’s
President Hage Geingob told the recent SADC meeting that Cyril Ramaphosa
sometimes took as much as two days to reply to his messages and questions,
What’s your
problem mate? Uncle Cyril takes a lot longer than that to answer the ordinary
South African’s questions - such as what really happened at PhalaPhala and why
does he keep a clueless Minister of police?
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