The Week That Was

Gerald Potash,

Hello again,

In my absence, the two biggest stories to emerge from South Africa were the intensifying political tensions ahead of the upcoming elections, and the ongoing economic pressures marked by load shedding, lack of fresh water, rising living costs, and persistent unemployment challenges. Business Day on Wednesday led with the wage-battle story for workers who are experiencing their toughest period with petrol & paraffin prices rising sharply because of the Middle East war.  Now low-earning workers are having to spend about 40% of their wages on transport.

Then the report that Ramaphosa has a case to answer after the illegal handling of the Phala Phala investigation with some top-shots calling for his impeachment and removal from office. This story has been simmering for quite a while, and it hasn’t died. As you can imagine this is still attracting very much press.

This past weekend Geordin Hill-Lewis, the young, competent and very well qualified with degrees in politics, philosophy, economics and finance,  mayor of Cape Town, won the leadership battle to head up the DA after John Steenhuisen announced that he had had enough in that position. Helen Zille’s position as Chairperson of the federal council has gone to the Deputy Minister of Finance, Ashor Sarupen. Sarupen has been described as “incredibly capable” and things are looking up for the second biggest Party. The whole DA gathering over the last weekend attracted enormous press attention and all the newspapers carried the story.

Helen Zille has been campaiging strongly and if she does win to become mayor of Johannesburg, she will have an enormous job to do in a city that fallen apart because of the criminal mismanagement of the ANC. You may remember that she was photographed in a manhole in a road in a swimming costume, well know she was seen rowing down a flooded road. All because of a lack of service delivery from those in charge. Things will be very different , she promised, when she becomes mayor. This is  Siwela’s take , from the Citizen early this week:

Elon Musk has long been battling to get his cheap satellite service into SA so that those in poor areas can receive affordable connectivity and wifi. But this ANC government are demanding (as they do for all businesses in this country) that there must be at least 30% black ownership before it will award the licence. Musk has correctly called out that the Racist laws in SA are evil and the politicians that push these are shameful, disgusting people. Who can disagree with him?

Elon Musk’s father, Elon Musk, still a South African, is a property developer and a former political and he is trying to do what Donald Trump did for S African farmers. But instead of asking them to emigrate to America he wants them to go to Russia and he has a plan ready for those farmers who feel afraid and want to leave.

Some things don’t change and reading the newspapers to catch up with SA news is frankly depressing. Schoolgirl rapes, corruption by ANC big shots (Daily Maverick has exposed two cabinet ministers who accepted SUVs meant for their departments, given to their children and not declared, which in itself is anti the Parliamentary rules—but has Cyril said one word? …. Don’t be silly) and ongoing murders on the Cape Flats.  This is Zapiro’s take, from the Daily Maverick on the Minister who gave two SUVs to her children instead of to the Women’s League:

Making a big noise on Wednesday was the mass of EFF supporters outside the Magistrates Court in kuGompo City (East London, to you) where Julius Malema will appear on charges of firing a loaded rifle illegally. He could recieve a jail sentence severe enough to ban him from his political job. The sentence will only be delivered tomorrow —and whatever it is there will be an apeal, Malema has already told us that— so watch this space.

Roelf Meyer, the old National Party minister was this week appointed as our new Ambassador to the United States. The EFF have gone ballistic about this appointment calling it a deliberate insult to the liberation struggle. I don’t envy Meyer his job with the Trump crowd currently so anti-South Africa. Meyer and Ramaphosa were on opposite sides of the table in the early 1990’s when negotiations were in full swing to end Apartheid.

The big sporting events that attracted my attention was the golf from Augusta where Rory McIlroy won his 2nd Masters green jacket in a row and the Tennis where Jannik Sinner overcame Carlos Alcaraz to regain the world’s top ranking.

I may have to find myself a different team to follow in the English Premier League. The quality of the football (as the English call soccer) is terrific and the press loves everything about it and so do I. But, sadly it looks as if Spurs are on their way to being relegated. I watched their last game on Sunday on the couch with the 3Ms in London and their play was depressingly poor. They lost and now relegation out of the Premiership looks almost inevitable.

As always,

Gerald