* The projected increase in the petrol price of around 30 cents a litre is going to peg the fuel price at an all-time high and is going to add to the woes of deeply indebted consumers. The petrol price increased by 38c and 39c a litre respectively in January and February this year. According to the National Credit Regulator, there are 9.76 million consumers with impaired records in SA. That means they have accounts not paid for three months or more. Total consumer debt is now topping R1.44-trn, according to StatsSA. Rising food and fuel costs, as well as slow economic growth, is making it difficult for many South Africans to pay back their loans on time. One in every four South Africans is unemployed and the number of borrowers with impaired credit records has risen to nearly 50%. It’s poor management on the part of our leaders.
* Every government institution has Batho Pele charts displayed vividly. Do government employees practice what they preach? Some clever dick comes up with all these fancy nomenclatures and systematically shoves it down our throats, coercing us into believing that service delivery in government institutions will improve. Poppycock! Many civil servants don’t give a f*^k!
* Before it was jobs for pals, now it’s jobs for family. Take the cases of tenders to provide meals to schools in Limpopo. A 23-year-old student who was awarded a R7.7 million tender to supply food to Limpopo schools insists that her mother’s senior job in the provincial education department had nothing to with it. Her mother happens to be the department’s special projects manager who oversees its schools nutrition programme. The student was at the University of the Free State when she registered her company in 2010. In 2011, she won the contract to supply food daily to more than 6800 pupils around Mokopane. To add more gravy, her brother was awarded a R5.6 million tender to feed pupils from nine schools around Mokopane. The tenders are being investigated. It’s like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted!
* Scientists have discovered that baby poo can promote a healthy gut when used in food. Spanish scientists have been exploring ways of using the bacteria found in baby poo to boost healthy bacteria in the body. It’s not just theory either. The team has already cooked up a batch of salami-type sausage using bacteria extracted from baby poo, and they’re claiming it tastes just great! The scientists discovered that human faeces are a great source of bacteria, strong enough to survive the acidic digestive process. Using faecal samples from healthy babies, they discovered that infant poo is richer in the bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Using the bacteria cultured from the poop, the scientists created several different types of sausage. Professional taste-testers said that the sausage was almost impossible to distinguish from similar types of sausage. So don’t be angry the next time someone says, “The food tastes like sh*t!”
* The gentleman is a rare breed. The New Chivalry Movement is to bring men (and women) together who strive to be the best versions of themselves, and love and respect those around them. As the gentleman has become less prominent, so have the respectful acts that define him. Here are eight acts of chivalry we often overlook and should work to bring back: Whether on a bus or on a crowded hall, giving up your seat to another is a rare but great sign of respect; Regularly pull out a chair for a woman to sit down; Open doors for her; Call, don’t text a date invite; Compliments, compliments, compliments; Walking on the street-side of the sidewalk; Walk her to her door at the end of your date; When parking far away, drop her off first. Ladies, do you think this is a good idea? Or do you think a guy like this is a moegoe?
* No one has yet claimed the phone that was found during the Windsor Celebrations last week. Did you lose a phone in Forbes Street? Call me on 082-756-0736. Please, no bull-dust. A few tried to hoodwink me. You have to identify the phone POSITIVELY!
