Justice Malala commenting on what he thinks of the current power crisis in South Africa and what appears to be the country's slow slide. I think this is a weekly column. Was emailed to me by a colleague whose Dad lives in SA. Give World Cup to the Aussies I don’t want South Africa to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup. There, I’ve said it! Call me names, but I have had enough of this nonsense, of keeping quiet and ignoring the fact that a train is about to run us over. We are supposed to behave like good patriots and support the staging of this massive event when it is increasingly clear that our leaders are incapable of making a success of it. Scrap the thing and give it to Australia, Germany or whoever will spare us the ignominy of watching things fall apart here — football tourists being held up and shot, the lights going out. While our politicians tell us everything is all right. I am fully aware that the staging of the World Cup in South Africa will lead to massive infrastructure improvements and stimulation of our economy, thereby, one hopes, helping the poor. But I am acutely aware that it is the poor who will suffer most when 2010 turns into a disaster because of our arrogant and unaccountable leaders. In the past few weeks, we have been in the grip of possibly the most serious and urgent economic leadership challenge of Thabo Mbeki’s presidency. Because of the power cuts, mines have been shut at a cost of billions to the economy, many businesses are out hunting for generators, and small businesses are facing closure because of reduced operating hours. Where has the political leadership been throughout all this? “Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer,” Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica told the nation. Anywhere else in the world, except Zimbabwe, she would have been fired for her insensitivity to the suffering of the people who put her in power. Instead, ANC MPs applauded her loudly. The bumbling, sad, incompetent minister who seems to be in charge of dealing with the crisis, Alec Erwin, tried to bamboozle the country with this line: “It is also critical to stress that the growth of South Africa’s economy at the current healthy levels can continue if we change our behaviour and become more energy-efficient.” Billions lost and he does not think economic growth is under threat? In the meantime, Mbeki sits and stews sullenly in Mahlamba Ndlopfu. The only time he seems to move is to fly to the hapless AU’s meetings or to be deceived for the umpteenth time by the dictator Robert Mugabe. I suspect Mbeki is in a state of deep and debilitating depression. I do not want USA to host the 2010 World Cup because there is no culture of responsibility in this country. The most outrageous behaviour and incompetence is glossed over. No one is fired. The only senior official fired by Mbeki (deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge) was axed for doing her job. Politicians such as Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who have signally failed to serve the people of this country, clog the motorways, their outriders’ sirens wailing, in the style of the worst tin-pot dictators. Eskom officials have been rewarded with massive bonuses. These politicians and their cohorts should not be rewarded with the World Cup. To allow that would be to exalt mediocrity and unaccountability. A telling event in South African politics happened rather quietly in December. Mbeki gave an interview to the Sunday Times and the Mail & Guardian, two newspapers he has denounced and treated with contempt for years. Do you know why he wanted to appear in these courageous and independent newspapers? Because he could smell defeat. South Africans, in general, do not deserve to stage events like the 2010 soccer showpiece because they do not understand that, if they want an accountable government, they have to send out an unequivocal message to the politicians. The message is that if they do not perform, if they do not take responsibility, they will be booted out at the next election. But the leaders of the ANC know one thing for sure — the party will win next year’s election. That is why they can treat South Africans with such contempt and refuse to fire the incompetents among them. Any electorate that is happy to be treated with such contempt doesn’t deserve to stage the World Cup.
Well there's always the usual tosh about having the Olympics in one's backyard and how it's supposed to be good for the economy, jobs, regeneration etc. Rubbish, you ask the eastenders how it's affecting them, how they are being priced out of their communities, ask them who's making the money and really gaining from it, etc etc etc EDIT: Sorry Nana, I was responding to Andy - didn't mean it to look like it was pointed at you
And also ask all those charities and organisations who used to get Lottery Funding how they feel about losing their grants because that same money is now being used to pay for the Olympics
For me the winning of the games will always be tainted by the bombings but what I also find disappointing is that the names of some previous sporting heroes are allegedly linked to this particular trough! I think that this is one of those occasions when a referendum should have been held.
Ah but Nana, that would imply that we live in a true democracy where the people actually have a say on their own affairs....but I suppose we can dream :frusty: As to the affect of the Olympics on the country: BBC NEWS | Wales | Wales is 'losing out to Olympics' BBC NEWS | England | London | Olympic pool costs set to triple BBC NEWS | England | London | Games loan to be repaid by 2022 and the real doosey BBC NEWS | Politics | 2012 Olympics budget 'on track'
Bloody excellent, Kyt, and I sometimes can't help wondering if that's the way Britain is heading. Sad thing to think.
From the generation who had such high ideals of making this a better country / world to live in, I feel particularly saddened that we are actually passing on something much worse to our successors. Lots of trade offs I know, but the apathy and cynicism (justified - yes?) will be the biggest destroyers of all.
What I understand the film has nothing on the comic. And if we all want them, the mask. And as tot eh Olympics, it would have been wonderful, but every mortal last bit of Britishness will be radially erased and defiled upon as being racist and Un-PC. I'll watch the opening ceremony and cry
Always the way, Kitty. The comic must be incredible. Didn't know the opening ceremony had kangaroos on bikes... Having said that, and I know there's some bias, but I judge all Olympics (such an avid watcher of the day in review :-D) by the Sydney one. The opening ceremony, the very start, when the the stockmen on their horses galloped out was lump in the throat stuff. Having been in Athens a year after their Olympics, you wouldn't have known they had happened.
