Three Weeks On.

And so the strike by the public sectors continues...

As I have said before I am all for the proper remuneration for the vital services rendered by public servants, especially when our Ministers do not feel the repercussions of an economic downturn or the need to be frugal.

So one has to consider the President of Cosatu Zwlinzima Vavi's opinion of the ruling party when he describes them as a "predatory society." COSATU is part of an alliance with the ANC and the South African Communist Party, called the Tripartite Alliance. Although COSATU’s role in the alliance has been the subject of debate, since and because the organisation has been critical of some of the ANC government's policies. There are some affiliates who have argued for greater independence from the ruling political party, others have argued that the arrangement gives COSATU a political influence beneficial to its members. Three weeks on and the power struggle has become more than evident.

In this period Vavi has come close to being compared to Poland's Nobel Peace Prize Winner Lech Wałęsa. A man who went from leader of the Solidarity Trade Union to President of Poland. Lech Wałęsa organised a mass action of over 12 million workers, not all of whom were members of the union, to down tools against the Communist Government's use of violence against workers.

Are these the intentions of Mr Vavi? To gain leadership?
Is the S.A government guilty of violence against bottom of the food chain, public sector, by not meeting their demands of a 8.6% increase and a R1000 housing subsidy?
Are the workers demands unrealistic?
How beneficial is the alliance with government now?
How long can this go on?

With arms up in the air...

The temperature had dropped to a chilly 4 degrees Celsius and the clock was showing 23H45 in a gleaming luxury car as it zoomed past a township.

The passengers had lent their heads back and closed their eyes after being satiated by a feast for the eyes... a West End Show of glamour and glitz and Cadbury's Nutties. The driver glanced across at the outskirts of the township and saw a blazing fire. For a moment concerned, for surely that fire if unattended would torch the surrounding shacks! But on closer inspection it was obvious that circled around it were Friday night revellers with arms up in the air as if in praise of a God who seemed to have forsaken them and all who dwelled in this shanty town! Or maybe they were just having a good time with friends and a couple of beers, singing township songs that prompted a little dance of sorts?

Further on there seemed to be a flurry of activity as a young man start to run as his friends took after him. Were they too fooling around after a long hard week or was there something more sinister going on? Because surely the surroundings were only conducive to prompt evil-doings and not foolery?

The scene flashed past, that the thoughts did not linger for more than a moment and then it was onto the more affluent suburbs and the crowd around the fire and the youngsters fooling around were dismissed but not forgotten...

:-)

I’ve seen that look somewhere before
Your sorrow’s like an open door
You’ve been this way for much too long
Somebody must have done you wrong

But one day the sun will shine on you
Turn all your tears to laughter
One day your dreams may all come true
One day the sun will shine on you

I’ve seen that look so many times
I know the sadness in your eyes
Your life is like a wishing well
Where it goes, only time will tell

One day the sun will shine on you
Turn all your tears to laughter
One day your dreams may all come true
One day the sun will shine on

Say goodbye to the lonely nights
Say goodbye to the northern lights
Say goodbye to the cold north winds
Say goodbye to the autumn leaves

One day the sun will shine on you
Turn all your tears to laughter
One day your dreams may all come true
One day the sun will shine on you
One day the sun will shine on you
One day the sun will shine on you

Workers rights!

I must say that although I tend to lean toward the right when it comes to economic policies, I do believe that workers must be taken care of by their employers and should never be exploited.

This belief becomes even stronger when it comes to the public service and the government as employer. A government such as ours who promises essential services to all its people must surely look after those offering the service. So teachers, nurses and doctors should be very well looked after, so that they in turn can look after everyone, from the young school goer to the elderly.

When demands for an increase in salary and certain benefits are reasonable and your employer offers much less,you, as worker, should have the right to protest in the form of a strike. However, when the protest takes on an almost murderous streak by means of not allowing non striking workers and volunteers to meet the needs of the sick and elderly, I have to draw the line. Surely a compromise needs to be reached.

Freedom.

I was intrigued at who made the cover of TIME magazine this week.

An American 51 year old novelist by the name of Jonathan Franzen, he joins only a few other American authors who have ever made the cover, one being Salinger.

His new book Freedom, which took him nine years to write, they say will probably out sell his previous book The Corrections which sold over 2.8 million copies world wide.

I like what is said about him: "...allegations of elitism that are leveled against him are not only untrue but the opposite of true. He's one of contemporary fiction's great populists and a key ally of the beleagured modern reader."

I think I'm off to Exclusive Books to buy a copy of Freedom and I think I also want to be one of the 2.8 million world wide who have The Corrections. So I'll be hunting that one down too! How can I resist when his writing is described as unshowy almost egoless perfection?

A man? Egoless! This I have to see.

Freakout!

Is this how it goes?

So when Mittal failed to apply together with Kumba for the rights to mine the iron ore in the Thabazimbi mine, the government promptly gave more than 20% of the rights to Imperial Crown Trading, irrespective of the fact that Kumba had applied for the full rights. Should their application rather not have failed? How can you only get part rights?

Imperial Crown Trading then promptly said that Kumba could no longer supply Mittal with iron for cost less 3% as has always been the arrangement. Do they realise when they do this that it is the consumer that will carry the increase? The consumer being their own.

So to end the dispute, Mittal pays Imperial Crown R800 million for the rights on the Thabazimbi mine. Who are the instant millionaires? And what have they done to deserve it besides form a company that has not existed until a few months ago?

•Mabelindile Archibald Luhlabo;
•Mojalefa Mbete;
•Prudence Zerah Mtshali
•Pragat Investments (Jagdish R Parekh)
•Phemelo Ohentse Robert Sehunelo; and
•Zebo Lesego Edwin Tshetlho
Arcelor will pay R 800m for the stake, which will be payable subject to terms and conditions, including, inter alia, completion of a due diligence exercise to the satisfaction of ArcelorMittal South Africa (JSE:ACL).

According to the Mail and Guardian:

Zebo Lesego Edwin Tshethlo
Tshethlo is apparently a municipal manager of the Kgalagadi district municipality.

Phemelo Ohentse Robert Sehunelo
An advocate, Sehunelo served as Northern Cape provincial director of housing and city manager of Kimberley, but now holds business interests in the Northern Cape. He served on a ministerial task team on mining procurement in the Northern Cape and is a business partner of well-connected Kimberley businessman Trevor Pikwane. Pikwane and Sehunelo are involved in the controversial proposed Bongani Minerals tungsten mine in the Western Cape as well as in Kimberley Consolidated Minerals.

Mabelindile Archibald Luhlabo
Luhlabo was a founding director of the Mineworkers' Investment ­Company, though he resigned in 1999. He is also active in the ­diamond industry.

Prudence Zerah "Gugu" Mtshali
Mtshali is the former assistant in the ANC treasury department and reportedly Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe's long-term romantic partner. Oddly, both Luhlabo and Mtshali reflect their addresses as the humble home of one of Pikwane's employees in Kimberley's Pescodia township.

Mojalefa Landlord Mbete
Son of well-connected businessman Lazarus Mbethe, he has extensive business interests in the Witbank area, notably in coal mining.

What impression do we give to the outside world when we, by voting in this government, give to the outside world? Do we think when our mining industry goes abroad to talk to investors that they will not question dealings such as these? And then... Do we defend the industry or do we defend the government?

No wonder they are also gung-ho to muzzle the press too!!

It makes me shudder!