Readers’ Views

Splitting Eskom not the solution: We first need to address graft

Sitting in my load-shedded lounge, I thought I would comment on Hilary Joffe’s column “SA has already flirted with a good energy plan. Why not commit?” (March 17).

There is no guarantee that splitting Eskom into three will improve anything. It is logical that there should be three divisions, but until you address the fundamental problem of corruption nothing will change.

Will the transmission division be any more efficient than it is now? Will proper maintenance be carried out on the network? Will the sales division be able to collect outstanding debt from municipalities? Will they fire excess staff? How many bribes will be paid by suppliers to get on the bandwagon?

We forget Eskom was split once before. When the ANC first came to the trough, it sold off coal mines and the means of transporting coal. Did this lead to greater efficiency or contain the cost of electricity? No. It led to fat-cat BEE deals and corrupt tenders, and the diabolical situation we are in now. Simply put, the problem is people, the politicians and those at Eskom. Until those involved are fired and in jail, and honest, competent people are brought in, we will continue from crisis to crisis. Cedric Edwards, Horison

Racist BEE killing white business

Andile Khumalo, in “The unvarnished truth about BEE” (March 17), shouts “Viva” for tighter and more aggressive BEE legislation compelling the transfer of wealth from whites to blacks. All short-sighted, racist BEE legislation is doing is making a few elite black people wealthy at the expense of the masses of unemployed.

White businessmen are not investing in their businesses, they are selling their interests or closing down. They are taking their wealth and skills overseas, not transferring it to black people, except for a few elite.

The white business component of the economy is a catalyst for growth, new business and employment. Racist BEE legislation is killing white business at the expense of the unemployed and the economy.

We need a courageous leader to remove racism from transformation policies and legislation before more irreversible damage is done, and we can move forward together as one nation, black and white.

GS Bell, East London

Great column, Andile. In addition to your points, the adverse effects of fronting are underestimated.

We are now caught in a culture of “so and so is doing it, so why can’t I do it, too?”. The shocking part is, companies implementing fronting are enabled by consultants or auditors.

I have been in this industry since 2009, as a BEE advisory. There are good stories to tell, just as there as some harrowing ones.

Oliver Pete, on businesslive

Hard to plan in uncertainty

There is some truth to what Ron Derby says in “Bereft of strategies, corporate SA is still blaming woes of the past” (March 17), but he is being unfair in dismissing the uncertainty caused by regulatory and policy amendments that at times approaches schizophrenia.

It’s hard to plan anything if you don’t know what to plan for.

David de Beer, on businesslive