Clearly, the ANC doesn’t believe in maintenance

I WONDER if the powers that be know the old proverb “a stitch in time saves nine”?

The ANC government does not believe in maintenance and taking care of public buildings and infrastructure. If you look around, you will see public buildings and infrastructure going to rack and ruin.

Look at the state of our trains. They don’t run anymore. Once the rail services carried 60% of the freight between Joburg and Durban. Now, it carries about 14%.

Our national power grid is ruining our economy. Eskom waits for power stations to break down before carrying out costly repairs.

Town halls are in a sad state of neglect. Social welfare buildings are a disgrace and even Parliament buildings have been neglected.

Parliament was set on fire this year. There was a fire last March in the Assembly House and the government did not replace the old electrical wires and switches. That could have caused the blaze.

A suspect has been arrested. Apparently he gained easy access to the building as there was insufficient security during the festive period.

Were the government and police napping? If this was an act of arson, then it’s sabotage and treason. It points to a soft approach on crime. During the July riots, they stood by and watched as rioting mobs set the country ablaze. Despite the destruction, amounting to billions of rand, no one has been arrested.

No other concerned government minister or official, besides Patricia de Lille, the minister of public works and infrastructure, rushed to Parliament to see the inferno. Perhaps they were too busy partying, welcoming the new year with Moët & Chandon and celebrating the destruction of another old colonial relic?

De Lille says the fire would not deter the president from delivering the State of the Nation address next month. What Sona address would he deliver? More smokescreen and mirrors to hide the government’s ineptitude, mismanagement and corruption?

T MARKANDAN

Kloof