Price of candles has also gone up

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/(&75,&,7< this, electricity that. The amount of electricity units one gets will be drastically reduced, come $pril , .

This is because the energy regulator has approved that the electricity tariff be increased for all types of users in (swatini.

If only this particular regulator was also involved when salaries, in both the public and private sector, are discussed

The way he keeps approving tariff increases would see even street sweepers earning ( per month. 6alaries would rise every year, by a significant margin.

$las, that is not the case and only the rich are unbothered.

They are not feeling the pinch. Wherever they are in their lavish houses and well-manicured lawns, they are probably wondering what the fuss is all about.

³/et them use candles if electricity is e[pensive,´ one of them is said to have suggested. What, wait«doesn¶t that sound familiar"

2h, yes, something similar to this was allegedly said by 0arie $ntoinette in when her husband .ing /ouis ;9I was still the ruler.

³/et them eat cake,´ she said when the nation took to the streets, complaining about a shortage of bread.

0arie was known for her lavish lifestyle within the )rench royal court.

PEASANTS

6he and others within the palace had no problem giving birth to as many children as they wanted because they lacked nothing.

The economy, driven mostly by peasants and farmers, took good care of them.

It came to pass that there was a great famine in )rance in .

$ poor harvest, rodents and other factors led to an enormous shortage of bread. %ear in mind that bread was the staple food among the poor in that country at the time, so for one to say they should eat cake instead, showed Must out of touch she was with the plight of her people.

This gave birth to the )rench 5evolution.

$s fate would have it, /ouis ;9I was the last king of )rance before the )rench 5evolution. +e died by e[ecution, as an ordinary citizen after he had been dethroned.

In short, food shortages and an economic crisis led to a revolution that resulted in the )rench monarchy being abolished in .

0arie $ntoinette and her arrogance aside, whoever suggests that people should use candles instead, is out of touch with our plight as well.

)

In fact, it goes up every time electricity tariffs are raised.

They feel the pinch when tariffs are increased and naturally pass on the financial burden to us, the users.

They do the same when the price of fuel increases because they do not use rickshaws or home-made carts to transport the candles to all corners of the country and beyond.

$s a result, the price of one candle is now unbelievably high. Those of us who still use them for light have to ration them.

They are only lit when it is completely dark inside the house and by

pm, everybody should be in bed, so that we put out the candle.

EXPENSIVE

3eople who only use candles when having dinner by candlelight will never understand this, especially because during these e[pensive dinners, they light up more than one candle. What a waste

The energy regulator never says anything about candles but what he does not understand is that they are a source of energy in their own right.

+e is probably not aware either, that when he approves and electricity tariff increase, he automatically increases the price of candles as well.