ALBERTON – Pay back the money has become the rallying chant of the EFF in parliament, which has once again brought the highest legislative institution in South Africa to a grinding halt.
I want to examine the concept of “pay back the money” for a second. Firstly it’s an ironic statement to come from the EFF. If they truly want president Zuma to pay back the Nkandla money, then their commander-in-chief should lead the charge by paying back the tax money that he owes.
I say pay back the money!
That being said, I think that the slogan “pay back the money” shouldn’t just be reserved for Nkandla-gate. What about the five per cent salary increase the president just got? It only equates to an additional R130 000 per year, pushing his salary to R2.7-million per year. Now considering that as a president he doesn’t actually pay for anything at all – food, transport, education – in fact, in his first term of office, his wives cost us R54.6-million in spousal support. So really his salary is to him what pocket money is to my kids, free money.
I say pay back the money!
Then there is Eskom. They have just hit us with a 12.69 per cent increase which they now want to push up to 25.3 per cent by March next year. Load shedding started in 2008 and since then, their executives have pocketed a cool R63 million in bonuses, R11 million in 2014 alone. Bonus? Bonus for what? For failing to supply electricity? For failing to maintain the networks? For hopelessly failing to build new power stations.
I say pay back the money!
It’s clear that the current administration has little regard for the well being of the people, and by its actions alone they have shown themselves to be nothing more than robbers in Armani Suites. It is unfortunate that the poorest of the poor, the very people they say they represent, will be the ones to bear the brunt of rampant idiocracy. But it is the middle class, the real tax payers who will be hit the hardest. You and me, the ones trying eek out an existence. We are going to have stand together, rather sooner than later because the real cost of sustaining South Africa’s hunger for money will be the fall of the little guy to feed the greed and opulence of the fat cat rulers.
Read more Michael Basch here:
Inside Report with Michael Basch: I Nkandla pay your e-tolls
Inside Report: Connected leadership
Inside Report with Michael Basch: Industrial Nightmare