EDITORIAL: Stage 6 – a depressing new normal
Even Ramaphosa’s most loyal supporters, if they had their way, would probably choose to put the government and the ANC into business rescue, alongside SAA
Cast your mind back: it’s October 2007, and SA is in uncharted waters. Eskom, the state-owned power company, has just imposed load-shedding — a euphemism for managed blackouts — and its customers, the public, are apoplectic. Talk-show lines ring off the hook, newspapers demand that the culprits walk the plank, and the rand staggers as if punched.The country was a dark mess: business ground to a halt, restaurants shut and traffic snarled up. President Thabo Mbeki then emerged, sheepish, and apologised for having failed to act earlier. But, at least, our political leaders seemed to care. At least metro police officers emerged to direct traffic.Today, 12 years later, we’ve gone backwards. Eskom this week declared stage 6 load-shedding — the highest level yet. Only this time, nobody emerged immediately to apologise. Not President Cyril Ramaphosa, not public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, not energy minister Gwede Mantashe.With traffic lights out of commission, intersections remain...
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