Current Affairs – Page 6 – The Shaved Soapbox

Eskom Horroscopes

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 21) :Things will be pretty dark for you today, unless you remember to buy new torchbatteries.

Taurus (Apr 21 – May 21) :You'll probably eat cold, raw food again today. Try to remember to getthat gas cylinder filled! Be cheerful, though, and remember that yourancestors lived like this and survived – 25,000 years ago.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 22) :There will be a programme on TV tonight that you'll love. Bu mmer thatyou can't watch it 'cause it's on during your allotted "block" in theEskom disco derby…

Cancer (Jun 22 – Jul 23) :Thought you were smart buying that generator? But we know you're going torun out of fuel tonight and the nearest working petrol station is 20kmaway. As you get there, we'll cut their power… Sorry.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 24) : Anothermorning without that essential cup of coffee awaits you… If youmake it to 10am we'll reward you with enough power to make some, but bythen you'll probably have killed 3 people and severely injured a 4th. (Don't worry, though. This is the New SA – you'll probably get away withit.)

Virgo (Aug 24- Sep 23) :Not for very much longer… What else is there to do after dark?

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 23) :Your star-sign stands for fairness and justice. That's why we're going tohit your area with three 2hr outages a day, while the area where yourlocal MP stays will enjoy uninterrupted power throughout.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 23) :Your area's assigned outage "block" is from 10:00 to 12:30. Expect the power to go off any time before or after that. And don't thinkit will only be out for two-and-a-half hours, either.

Sagittarius (Nov 23- Dec 22) :Today you'll buy some food that is apparently within its sell-by date. What you won't realize is that the sell-by date is for food that hasbeen stored in a constantly operating fridge…. Although you'll get severe food poisoning, we think you may survive if youcan find an emergency ward that has back-up generators. Good luck!

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 21) :Don't bother to go to work today. During the hours when you actually willhave electricity, your network provider will not, so you won't be able to doanything anyway. Stay home and well…. there's not much to dothere either, is there?

Aquarius (Jan 21 – Feb 20) :Today you'll get so fed up with our incompetence that you'll decide toemigrate. We regret to inform you that this is no longerpossible… The airports have all shut down, because – well think aboutit! They need electricity to run the place!! You ain't going -nowhere…

Pisces (Feb 20 – Mar 21) :Today all your hopes and dreams will come true. You'll have power during"Days of Our Lives".

If today is your birthday : Use lots and lots of candles on that cake – even if they don'treflect your age. How else are you going to see to open the presents?

You will receive the ideal gift -your very own miner's helmet!!

The law is now going against my religion

According to this article on News24, smacking your child is now a criminal offence, punishable by a minimum fine of R300. I don’t get it. In my opinion, and as I’ve stated earlier, a good smack on the butt is still the number one ear opener for any child. I’ve grown up with it, and my kids will grow up with it. The government is trying to get people to stop abusing and degrading children, and I agree that it has to stop, but they’re going about it in the wrong way.

At this point, the law makes it easy for undisciplined teens to get back at their parents for something they deserved in the first place.

Government needs to change this law urgently! A parent should not be prosecuted for disciplining their children, unless they are doing it in the wrong way.

And for the offenders that should be prosecuted, a R300 fine is not a deterrent to stop abusing their children, and the children would probably be too scared to report their parents anyway, knowing that the moment the parent gets back from paying the fine, there will be hell to pay.

If someone is abusing a child, the child should be taken away, without the option of getting the child back ever. That would be more of a deterrent than a small fine.

Waste of our tax money

The fired deputy minister of health has been asked to repay the money spent on her unauthorised trip to Spain. So far the only figure I heard was for the money spent on flights, R312,000. No, not Zim Dollar, South African Rand!

Now, I can iunderstand a government minister flying first class, but why should her son and advisor fly first class as well. Actually, I changed my mind, I don't see any reason for anyone to fly first class with my tax money. How many people could you have built houses for with that fare? At least 10 families with the price of a low cost house.

I just tried to book tickets to Spain for 3 adults on SAA's website, at a cost of R147,000 for 3 people in Business Class, apparently First class is not available on the route. Now assuming that our government uses it's own carrier at specially arranged prices, why was the deputy minister's fare more than double this amount?

Some food for thought…

PS.

I just tried to book first class tickets on BA for the same route, and there I could get it for just under R60K for 3 adults, why would SAA be double the price for cheaper the seats as well?

Bombs in London

I saw the news this morning that they found two car bombs in Central London yesterday. Very crude devices with Petrol and nails as the ignitor and shrapnel. Probably only someone sending the new prime minister a message that he should be awake. We're not close to the centre of London at this point so no need to worry.

Do the powers that be have something to worry about?

The only deduction I can make from this, is that the management of SA Rugby have some serious underlying issues that they are trying to hide. You cannot forbid someone to have a meeting in their personal capacity with anyone, let alone the president of the country.

And to then state that Jake is "undermining the Minister of Sport", is pure BS. This from the same person that wanted to confiscate the bok team's passports because the mix of players wasn't to his personal liking.

Come on mister President, I think it's time you put an end to the political crap that is going on in our sport. The moment all politics are dropped, and the best teams are fielded in all our sports, whether they are black, white or pink, it will be a greater unifying moment than what any team selected on demographics would ever be.

‘It is because I am black’: South Africa: News: News24

This statement by a senior provincial politician embodies what is currently wrong with our country. And the people on the street learn their bad habits from this.

The politician's motorcade was driving too fast, just another person that's supposed to set an example, but that thinks he is above the law. And when a white person takes him on about breaking the law, he immediately falls back on the old "Apartheid"/"You're hassling me because I'm black" excuse.

You can seriously stop with that now, we're hassling you because you're not above the law, and you should start setting an example for your people.

In my opinion, the moment our population stop attaching anything remotely racist to normal comments, our country will be a much better place.

Link to 'It is because I am black': South Africa: News: News24

Crime plan for Joburg: South Africa: News: News24

Is this the best you can do? Another 500 fat, lazy (ok, not all of them, but a lot) people to manage speed traps and check that no-one is talking on a cellphone while driving.

Get real, that's not what we need. We need visible policing, to stop our road carnage, as well as the out-of-control crime rate in our country.

We should really look at automated speed traps, and get the Metro cops to start doing their work. I see hundreds of taxis (mostly) and other cars skipping red traffic lights every week. These are in a few hot spots around the city, which the Metro Police know about, but do nothing about, it is much easier to just sit behind a speed camera than to actually pull someone over.

I challenge the management of Jo'burg and the Metro Police to do better than this.

Link to Crime plan for Joburg: South Africa: News: News24