Wow, living in South Africa is a lot without a VAT increase, which would spell disaster for most of our citizens. So, in this #SliceOfGasant column, Gasant Abarder is appealing to the government before the Budget Speech 2.0 comes round: raise the additional revenue by cutting your bloated executive and civil service.
Imagine being the most useless South African out of a population of possibly around 65 million people. Our Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, can easily lay claim to the title. He has apologised for Stage 6 blackouts that hit the country at the weekend.
Apology not accepted! Sure, for at least a year the lights were on. But that is your job, pal. We’re not patting fish on the back for swimming. While the power grid was held together with Prestik, there was nothing else going on in terms of long-term infrastructure planning, it would appear.
I read about the apology as I was in the shops looking at a garden-variety jar of freeze-dried instant coffee that I swear was R50 cheaper last month. That touted 2% VAT increase made me angrier.
Imagine paying this much for coffee when you need at least two heaped teaspoons for a decent cup? I felt even queasier at the thought that if the now-infamous VAT budget went through, I’d pay more for this crap posing as coffee. You’d swear, based on the price, it was made from unicorn droppings. The shops are having a field day with price gouging.
Mine are middle-class problems. A 2% VAT increase would be a disaster for the poor. The government does need to raise more revenue for its plans – among them, the most elusive one of keeping the lights on. But you can’t tax the taxpayers more because they’re already funding the fiscus with disproportionate income tax, thanks to our high unemployment.
(Sidebar: How did the DA ‘save the day’ – their claim, not mine – and the former liberators want to tax us to death? How did a player in the Government of National Unity like the DA not know about the 2% proposed VAT increase before the Budget was presented? Questions for the ages.)
Something needs to give. It’s so easy: cut the fat, bloated – literally and figuratively – Cabinet.
This weekend has shown us the electricity minister is about as useful as having an electrical device in South Africa. Fire him! Trim down the ridiculously large executive and redeploy deputies. There is no need for such excess.
The optics in the government are vulgar. Five-car convoys worth at least R5 million driving around ministers with blue lights while the rest of us stare at our fuel gauges wondering if we’re going to make it to work on a reserve tank. Opulent banquets for people who should really be buying their own food. Free housing for parliamentarians, flights and other perks.
All this against the backdrop of a public hospital like GF Jooste in Manenberg being closed, schools like Beauvallon Primary in Valhalla Park slowly being carted away for scrap after it was shut down and students in the so-called ‘missing middle’ battling to register at universities.
Drive a Toyota Corolla! Two bodyguards are enough because you do so little we wouldn’t even recognise you in public, Mr Minister. Send your kids to public schools like the rest of us and use public hospitals. That this probably won’t happen speaks volumes of your lack of confidence in the swill you serve up. Why don’t you guys have a wage increase freeze for five years and see how you like that?
That phrase ‘public servants’ is a myth in South Africa. It means serving the public but there isn’t that much of it going around.
A government should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable and we’re judging you. Harshly! There is corruption with Sassa payments to the elderly and the new black pension card is probably a necessary measure. But hearing numerous accounts that only 100 seniors a day can be served is heartbreaking and frustrating. What about the seniors who don’t have a support structure to help them get the black card?
Sies, man!
How do you sleep at night? Probably lekker in a secure state-owned complex with power while regular people battle blackouts and go hungry. It’s time you get in touch with reality and grow a conscience. You guys make it very tempting to want to be a refugee!
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Picture: MyANC / Facebook
