The Week That Was

Gerald Potash,

Hello again,

The main news this week, and we were all expecting it, was on Monday when Julius Malema called for a day of shut-down. Malema called for Monday to be a day of protest against “our power outages” while further demanding that Ramaphosa step down and immediately be replaced as President.

The reaction to Malema’s threats were that the Police and the army were called into action and given strict instructions not to allow any criminality. But even before Monday Julius Malema had won. The EFF got miles of publicity and they thrive on it. Malema ranted and the TV channels gave him carte blanche to go on forever. He is sickening to listen to.

Some stores closed and some were just too scared to open but generally there was less friction than one was expecting. Police and army troops were visible at suspected friction points.  

Shops only along the routes that the EFF followed were closed or made to close, but there was plenty of business for the informal sector along the way of the march where chicken and wors was braaied on the side of the road and water & drinks were sold at the informal stalls.

The largest gathering of red-shirts seems to have been in Pretoria where the EFF marched from Church Square to the Union Buildings and on to the President’s home. There slogans were chanted and there was much dancing but generally the police oversight kept things calm.

In certain towns like Makana (Grahamstown) and Mthatha (Umtata)—the name East London is still East London but the name will soon change to KuGompo— police were needed to shoot rubber bullets to control the crowd and four protesters were hurt. Altogether 550 protesters throughout the country were arrested for a variety of crimes.

Whereas the ANC declared that the whole stay-away was a miserable flop, the EFF crowed how well they had done. 

The protest was without doubt a success, but SA was not at all shut down. All shopping centres and other services like taxis and buses continued as normal. This is how Carlos from News24 sees the whole EFF mantra:

Brian Shivambu’s company was liquidated owing VBS Bank R11.5 million. Some of that money was traced (easily) using the credit card payments to where Malema and his Deputy Floyd Shivambu (Brian is Floyd’s brother) used the money for food, luxuries and more.

The question must be asked why Julius is not yet in jail.

The money from VBS Bank that went towards his expenses and the fact that it was poor people’s money is just another horrible example of how weak our police and prosecuting authorities are.

This has been known for ages and the Daily Maverick has exposed the whole situation……but no action. Our police are pathetic and the prosecuting authority (NPA) not much better. This is Zapiro’s view of the shut down from the Daily Maverick:

Oh, by the way Jacob Zuma may also soon have R6.5 million of his assets attached because that is what he still owes the VBS Bank on his unrepaid loan. He used that money for upgrades on his Nkandla home and the VBS liquidators are active— so watch this space. 

On Saturday afternoon a top liquidator, Cloete Murray (mid 50’s) and his son, Thomas (28) were “taken out in a hit” in broad daylight because they were getting too close to…….?

The Murray’s did sterling work for the Zondo Commission looking into the corruption in State Capture and Murray Snr was the liquidator working on both the Gupta and the Bosasa matters. You know all about the Guptas but Gavin Watson’s company, Bosasa was exposed for offering known benefits to cabinet Ministers and to have bribed so many in Government (including Gwede Mantashe) to obtain huge contracts where costs were astronomically inflated.

The two Murrays were assassinated in their motor car by gangsters on the busy road between Johannesburg and Pretoria. They were both shot multiple times.

What are the chances that these murderers will ever be found and brought to Justice? 

Almost zero.

Criminality is out of hand and getting worse and the figures show it. The cause of the problem is our pathetically poor policing and every year things just get worse.  Yet Cyril keeps the incompetent Min of Police, Bheki Cele in cabinet in spite of Cele’s horrific record and the fact that he has been shown to be dishonest.

On Tuesday there were more high-profile, assassinations in Durban in broad daylight. A suspected drug dealer and his wife were “taken out” and unfortunately their 9-year old daughter was also killed in the hail of bullets.

Helen Zille writing yesterday in Politicsweb opines that we live in a mafia state. That is where the death of one corruption buster is too high and the thought that politicians in high office can be part of an assassination syndicate is to lead us to deep despair. 

Last week John Steenhuisen, DA Party leader,  called out DD Mabuza, our recently retired Deputy President as one of the kingpins with regard to the looting of Eskom. He was referring to De Ruyter’s interview on TV where he discussed the criminality taking place at Eskom. De Ruyter told his interviewer Anneka Larsen that two cabinet Ministers were directly involved in the looting at our power supplier.

Of course, Mabuza denied everything and demanded that Steenhuisen repeat what he said outside Parliament, where such allegations are privileged. 

What is just so typical of our legal bodies, in spite of all the allegations made in that De Ruyter interview, is that not one person has been arrested or even been asked to make a statement.

Will the whole thing just be left to die without even an investigation?

Our Parliamentary Speaker is in Russia and will meet with Putin. In the meantime there is pressure here for SA to ask Putin not to attend the upcoming BRICS (Brasil, Russia, India, China & SA) meeting which is scheduled to be hosted in SA later this year. With the International Criminal Court (ICC) declaring Putin guilty of war crimes, we will be expected to arrest him on his entry to our country.

Don’t worry it won’t happen.

Zuma was in court again this week trying once more, as he has done so successfully until now, to delay his facing the music for his bribery case. In that case he is Accused No 1.                                              The defence advocates got stuck into JZ good and proper and his chances of winning this round against Karyn Maughan (journalist) and Billy Downer (Prosecuter) are slim, to say the least. The advocate for Maughan called the whole court case a farce and I agree.

The financial position of SA and our grey listing have caused major investors to have another look at their involvement here. Yesterday, BP (British Oil and Gas) decided to exit all its aviation activities here and they will no longer be refuelling planes on OR Tambo airport.

The SA Rugby Union’s decision to exclude an Israeli rugby team, after they had been invited to play in a team competition, may well be reversed by the World Rugby Union. BDS and Africa4Palestine activated strongly for the Israeli team to be excluded. The team, Tel Aviv Heat has players from all backgrounds and they believe the world body will rule that the ban is discriminatory, racist and illegal. 

The weekend sport was a very mixed affair. We lost the 2nd ODI to the Windies, but our deminutive captain, Temba Bavuma, scored a magnificent 144 runs. Then on Tuesday in the 3rd ODI we won quite easily.

The rugby, where our WP Curry Cup side went up North to face the enemy at Loftus Versveld, was a thrilling in a game with 9 tries scored.  We beat The Bulls 44-31. 

The football was well……..flat. When Spurs were leading 3-1 with only 13 minutes left to play, I was relaxed and happy. But then the team at the very bottom of the Premiership log scored two goals to level the match and that cost Spurs two valuable points on the log.

Antonio Conte, Spurs manager had a lot to say about his squad, the way Tottenham are being run and how selfish his players are. I would have expected him to be gone by now, but…..

For certain Spurs will have a new manager soon.

Anyway, you know that it’s hard being a Spurs fan and this season that has been proven to be no exception.

Oh, dear.

As always,

Gerald