FRED KHUMALO: Stealing a country
A woman’s voice sounded exaggeratedly loud in the ensuing silence: ‘When will this thieving stop?’ Others joined in; suddenly it felt like a party
As a seasoned journo I am not easily shocked. But even I was stunned by revelations that R139bn had been stolen from Eskom. It’s like stealing a country, really. Which is just what it is. This was the topic at a table next to mine at Che Argentine Grill at the Maboneng Precinct in downtown Johannesburg where I was having lunch. I’d gone to this restaurant on the recommendation of my daughter. When I arrived, I was flooded with doubts. The place was dark and dingy and looked more like the workshop or warehouse it clearly once was. My daughter had raved about it. That should have been a warning. As a student I used to enjoy dark and dingy places, which my parents sneered at. I was sneering, on the verge of turning my back on the place when a waiter pounced. With a reassuring smile, he ushered me to a table by the wall, a good choice as it afforded me a panoramic view of the entire restaurant. Once my eyes had acclimatised to the darkness, I was heartened to see numerous families aroun...
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