We can relax; no one need fear for their job and for playing a role in allowing the development of the power crisis - we know, because the President told us that on Friday. It seems we were all caught unawares; no one knew what was happening - and it's not because of incompetence, but because we're successful! This, despite the fact that Eskom itself, and others, warned years ago that the national grid would fail, but the Cabinet disregarded the warning. However, not all is lost... yet.... What we now apparently have to do is shuffle around in the dark and catch anybody and everybody wasting power, and report them. We can even report government departments! Not that anything would happen to the idiot who forgot/didn't bother to turn off the lights. He or she will still get a fat bonus at the end of the year. Can you imagine the impact on the career of a manager in the retail or any other business sector of not making a plan... or not bringing in generators? As long as people in senior positions in state, parastatal, provincial and municipal institutions can screw up with impunity and still be paid (I refuse to use the term 'earn') fat salaries, we shall continue to stagger from crisis to crisis. Today it's electricity. Tomorrow...?


Rod Baker, Content Manager