Living in our beloved but beleaguered country is a skill

SOUTH Africa’s problems continue to mount in the run-up to the May 2024 general elections. Corruption has been the topic in Parliament, with the resignation of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala revealing that about R13.8 million may have been lost to corruption across the Expanded Public Works Programme.

The Western Cape is mopping up and fixing damages after the province was hit by gale-force winds, torrential rains and thunderstorms. Former president Jacob Zuma created his own political storm. Zuma is allowed to be on the MK Party’s list after the Electoral Court dismissed the objection by the Electoral Commission of South Africa to remove him from its list of candidates because he was convicted of contempt of court. This certainly gives Zuma and MKP the momentum to contest for positions in Parliament.

In Durban, ratepayer groups continue their battle to lodge objections against tariff increases.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has remained mum over delays in student allowances at some institutions after the direct payment mandate returned to the four controversial fin-tech service providers.

Drugs continue to destroy our communities and when one reads about a gang boss who controlled the Verulam SAPS, there are concerns raised. Thankfully, he was not given bail and remains behind bars until his next appearance.

But there is sunshine at the end of the rainbow, not despair. The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship docked in Durban, boosting tourism. Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa attributed the lack of load shedding to the ramping up of maintenance by Eskom at the end of last year and January this year.

Ramokgopa said the fact that there has been no load shedding in almost two weeks was because Eskom had taken 18% of total generation capacity for maintenance and the units were now coming back on stream.

As a reader quipped, “Living in South Africa should be added to your CV. It is a skill.”