One of the more profound observations of the last century is that there is no such thing as a free lunch; somebody pays. Flowing from the power derived from its undoubtedly just victory over apartheid, the ANC has been enjoying political free lunches in many restaurants for some 19 years, gorging on the carcass of an effective business and financial structure. I suggest that the first major free meal was the arms deal, concluded for the enrichment of the ANC so that the party could contest the next general election. Those who actually paid for that meal are the people of this country, as we were all burdened with enormous, wasted capital costs, the acceptance of corruption and self-enrichment in high places. The unions were allowed to grasp excessive power and advanced both their own outdated political aspirations and the exclusive benefit of their members at the cost of the nonunionised majority and the country as a whole. Apart from the issue of the underfunding of education, the ...
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