Like many other South Africans this morning, I am pissed off about the electricity thing. Irritated by traffic lights being down. Annoyed about having to eat cold left-overs by the light of my head-torch. Inconvenienced by delayed meetings. Flabbier for missed squash games due to closed gyms. And poorer in ways I haven’t had the time or inclination to calculate.
The smug, self-congratulatory ex-pats now have a new refrain echoing from their lily-white strongholds in Canada and Australia. They are rolling around like porkers in sludge on this one. And there’s nothing we can even say in response. No one forced us to screw up our own country this time. We did this to ourselves.
That being said, what I am also tired of is a combination of pointless whining and defeatist inaction. Something needs doing. Here are some ideas.
1. Someone to blame: Yes, yes. We are all in this situation; we need to work as a team to make it better. But first, before we rush off enthusiastically and start group-hugging our buddies from Eskom and inviting them over for gas braais, how about someone taking the blame? I’d like someone whose ass we can actually kick, and kick hard. Someone to tie to a little, blinking, battery-powered LED light and release into the streets of Rivonia or Melville just for the sport of it. We understand that we’re fucked, thanks. Before we help fix it, let’s have a little public catharsis. Give us a name.
2. Turn it off: Eskom is fond of asking households to save electricity. Put in low-wattage bulbs. Switch off geysers. And I agree, we should all do our bit. However, driving around the dark streets of Jo’burg last night, I felt a quiet rage growing. I wasn’t sure why until I realised that despite the desperate need for electricity to cook and see in our homes, the great blue Telkom glow on the Hillbrow tower stood undiminished. In fact, the glowing insincerity that is billboard and other outdoor advertising continued to invade my space undiminished.
I’m not saying this is any great answer or will free up any significant power. However, it is obscene. If we are in such desperate times (and clearly we are), we cannot spare power to display enormous pictures of cheap sluts draped over Porsches or Olympic swimming champions degrading themselves by selling their abs to second-rate jewellery designers. For the love of God, can we start by turning off all the billboards in South Africa? We will still see your drivel all day long, don’t you worry.
3. Other power-generation options: A commentator on the radio last night rattled off about four possible power-generation options off the top of his head that could be implemented far quicker than the five-year timeline on building the kind of power stations Eskom has in mind. They are:
Barge-mounted power plants — One of these was constructed in about a year in Sri Lanka. Yes, it’s only 60MW, but that’s a start.
Gas-powered turbines — Eskom in fact already has two of these, which it runs at peak times. Why not run them all day? Because it’s expensive. Do we care? No. Eskom pays the government fat dividends at the moment and its executives big bonuses for making profits. Stop making profits, you bunch of near-sighted, pock-marked, incompetent, bat-eared fools. Make a loss and do your jobs.
Domestic, alternative energy sources — Solar power is one example of practical power generation that can be localised, down to individual homes if necessary. Again, it’s costly. But who actually cares? If we have to take a big, one-off hit to sort out the power situation, then the government and Eskom must take it. And take it now. Apart from the obvious benefits in the current crisis, alternative energy is a good long-term investment anyway.
Generators — Again, this is a costly option, but if it’s the only one, then it’s time to consider it. And again, this is for Eskom’s account. Drop mine off with a big, fat bunch of carnations to say you’re sorry as well.
These are just a few ideas, and I’m no expert. Don’t tell me there aren’t more, and don’t tell me they can’t be done or are too expensive. People live under the illusion that South Africa doesn’t have ready cash. This is false. The most obvious demonstration of that is that our economy has literally outgrown our own ability to electrify it. The economy is booming. The government is making the kind of money out of state enterprises that would humble Colombian druglords. We just need to spend it on bailing ourselves out.
4. Stop selling our power: Good luck on getting a straight answer to whether we are, in fact, selling electricity to our neighbours. But if we are, this has to stop. Load-shed their asses from here to Cairo. Sorry for you, but you are not our first priority. And guess what, we just spent R40-billion on buying new fighter jets that we don’t need, and millions more untangling the corruption involved in that deal. We’re just itching to toss a few hundred exploding tonnes of hell in the direction of an aggressor on our borders. So take your medicine and start up your own gas cookers. Daddy ain’t paying for your parties any longer.
5. Split off the industrial grid: Someone I met while travelling a few years back had some big job at Eskom. She assured me that most of the power in the country — about 70% — is used by industry, particularly the big iron smelters. Now, while we can all appreciate the economic importance of our steel industry, it seems idiotic to run these two demands together. Surely new smelters must come with their own power stations?
These are some general points and rants. What I will say is this: if the heavy, steel-capped boot of bad planning and even worse crisis management continues to kick the South African population in the balls, we will plunge even faster into an already impending economic slowdown. And that, not some lost profits or lost votes, is the real crisis. Someone in this country is always ready to call doomsday. And I am almost never that person, because I love this country; I think our government is great and I detest the endless complaining.
Maybe the public protector should hunt down and the the boards of directors who’ve been patting themselves and dishing out nice bonuses for work well-done. maybe we can ask them nicely at the end of a Mshini Wam to start repaying their bonuses and build a few wind-generator farms. CPT and PE can host the first 2 cause we’re always windbound.
just the rantings of a previously advantaged darkie…but they’re better than the constant whining as well..i think
Yep, maybe this really is it. As a citizen of this country, which I will love to the grave, I must say that a lack of creative thought and an unwillingness to work towards a greater good by our leaders has really left my optism shredded. I hope that when all the political squabbling is done, the party in charge will actually start giving a hoot’s ass about public needs or civil unrest will without a doubt be unavoidable.
Some good suggestions here. One I would like to add: solar-powered traffic lights. Cape Town has experimented successfully with them, so why can’t Joburg install them as a matter of priority?
Just one question: doesn’t Cambrient make a wad of cash out of assisting companies/ advertisers to propagate their drivel on the web?
One other thing that could ease some of the load shedding pain - get some of those fat metro cops off their lazy asses to actually man the intersections when the electricity is out. Have you noticed how they all suddenly disappear at the first hint of load shedding?
Loved this rant and I stand in complete agreement. I notice something you didn’t even start to tackle with this power loss is how they plan to manage the 2010 Soccer World Cup with no electricity. You yourself said that Eskom is working on a 5-year timeline … well past 2010.
“When Eskom said to the government: ‘We think we must invest more in terms of electricity generation’, we said no, but all you will be doing is just to build excess capacity,”
I was under the impression we had a capacity shortage in the country.
May I also echo Jody Herman’s comments (below) and add that its time for our leaders to pack away their egos and open their minds. The lack of vision and creativity in our leadership (at all levels) is deeply saddening.
“Yep, maybe this really is it. As a citizen of this country, which I will love to the grave, I must say that a lack of creative thought and an unwillingness to work towards a greater good by our leaders has really left my optism shredded. I hope that when all the political squabbling is done, the party in charge will actually start giving a hoot’s ass about public needs or civil unrest will without a doubt be unavoidable.”
Sarah: that’s nearly a fair point. Except we don’t create enormous, glaring billboard sized websites that people are forced to confront every time they move from one place to the next. I like to think of the web as a far friendlier form of marketing.
But maybe that’s post-rationalisation. For what it’s worth, the people making the billboards are getting a much larger share of the wad than I am.
Saying it like it is - excellent piece. But I think that you have more chance of Bob Mugabe getting a Nobel Peace Prize than any SA politician a) owning up to b) and apologising for the fuck-up. I mean, what are they worried about - that they will lose an election?
And if China can build 2 power stations a week, why five years in SA for one? I know, I know - it’s not quite like that, but they are obviously doing something right.
I know lots of people think we ex-pats are smarmy frontrunners in the “I told you so” category, but remember all of us have family and/or friends still in SA - and it worries us sick to know what you okes are enduring. And makes us angry.
But bear this in mind: The majority of the population don’t know what its like to have power 24 hours a day, so not having it will not get their collective goat. So don’t expect any major change in the power situation any time soon.
My advice to those that can: Leave now. It would take a miracle to turn the SA situation around, and I suspect we used up our allocation of miracles by having Nelson Mandela guide the political transformation.
Constructive and eloquent criticism has never hurt a soul.Well said!
I guess we are caught up in this dilemma at this current point in time, and our role as the public is to comply with ESKOMs requests.
Some Municipalities (cities) seem to be immune to the ESKOMs requests, in that they still have their appealing (good/bad) festive deco lights on, every bloody night.
I guess switching those bloody lights off would be a punt into the light.
Forget the wind farms. I recently heard courtesy of SAFM that we have the wrong type of wind here in PE. Seems that gusting winds cause these things to shed rotor blades faster than that parrot loses its feathers in the Coke ad!
Also why did the leccy shortage suddenly get critical now? What massive increase has their just been now? Wasn’t so bad just before Christmas or indeed last winter?
Dave Campbell-Watts on January 18th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
We are enjoying your beautiful exported power here in Botswana. We started a new contract with Eskom in January of this year. Of course, our own power utility marks it up a fair bit before passing it in to the consumer. Funnily enough, even during a severe thunder storm last night, the lights didn’t go out.
Incidentally, we are also building a massive coal generated power plant right now, in the hope of selling most of it’s power on to you poor sods.
Thabo admitted that he fucked up so I guess it’s his ass that should be getting pounded.
Q: What did they use for illumination in South Africa before paraffin and candles?
A: Electricity…….ha ha. Oops!
I would like to echo Expats comment here. Contrary to popular belief in SA, its not fun for us to watch whats going on there, when we have so many irons left in that fire.
Another point: I believe that all those standby generators in commerce and industry (like telcos, ISPs, airports, banks, datacentres, JSE and more) combined could supply about 5000MW, more than enough to take up the slack, but Eskom is unwilling to pay for it, and the bureaucracy can’t get it shared out efficiently. What madness - just damage the economy by billions instead!
The arse to be kicked MUST be the Eskom CEO who does not have the guts to resign ahead of his kicking. That, of course, is alien to Africa culture. You see it everywhere with this government. We are not alone: the UK has the same problem with getting their minister Peter Hain to resign - but again he is out of Africa!
What I like about this debarcle. No one can blame the apartheid regime, in fact, they are forced to admire thier skill at keeping the country running through sanctions while our present gov cannot make it work at 4-6% growth rates. Expect growth rate for 2008 = 0% then in negative territory for at least the next 5 years.
Time to stop being polite and giving Africa a chance. This is just the beginning, and, for the first time, it’s hitting most people where it hurts,every day. The ANC is like a bunch of 6 year old kids who’ve been given the keys to the sweet shop. Things seem to be OK for a while, and then the supplies run out, the roof leaks, and there’s nothing left to sell…
If Africa wants to be taken seriously the people who want to rule it should take Governance seriously. Question is really, are they capable? There’s little evidence of that.
I think the days of bending over backwards in apology are running out.
Sorry mate, two things, firstly, you forgot to mention ex pats in UK. I am crowing just as much pal, believe me. Secondly, you actually said ” I think our govt is great” Are you stupid or what?
have you become such a shiny kneed running dog that you actually believe yourself, or are the Rapport problems causing some issues in your weekly meetings?
Suprisingly, this “smug, self-congratulatory ex-pats” in North America is looking at this latest delayed manifestation of decades of strategic mismanagement and corruption with great sadness!
The tragic inevitability of the power crisis bespeaks not just a leadership void but a gaping vision deficit. While the constructive solutions proposed in this post are short term fixes, they clearly will never be sufficeint to address the overwhelming future challenges of delivering affordable, clean, renewable and safe energy for Southern Africa over the next century. And addressing demand is far more than just switching of billboard lights!
What about wind, hydro-electric and secure nuclear ppower generation? Without an integrated far-reaching effort at sustainable development for the subcontinent the current situation is only a taste of things to come - regardless of which populist or beaucrat is at the helm.
To single out Escom as the only culprit is in my
opinion wrong,Escom,the Government and Local
Authorities are all to blame.
Escom should never have mothballed certain power
stations in Mpumalanga without having adequate
backup facilities available.
The Goverment erred in not allowing Escom to proceed with implementation their long term planning.
Allowing the loss of competent and skilled staff under the afirmative action policy borders on the insane and the ANC-government must accept full resposibilty for this failed policy.
The lack of maintenance is a direct result of this
policy and becomes more and more evident in
our fast deteriorating infstracture.
In some country districts there are so many potholes that only baboons with walking sticks manage to travel from point a to b.
The unbridled development allowed by Local authorities using current infrastructure is indicative of the lack of cooperation between
the bulk suppliers of water and electricity.
How local authorities can allow development without
assurances that these bulk suppliers have sufficient capacity available beats me.
The fact that the government allows squater camps
to mushroom all over the show often tapping into
existing bulk supplies of water and electricity shows the ANC-government reluctance to curb land invasion.
Once these communities have established themselves
it would be inhuman not to supply water,refuse and
sewage disposal systems.
These unplanned developments strech the existing
infrastructure to breaking point and we are
actually furtunate to still have services at reasonable tariffs.
I am one of those smug, self-congratulatory ex-pats that the writer refers to, but there are no lily-white strongholds here where I live in Canada - 48 % of the population are foreign-born.
In the late 1980s, the British ex-pats who comprised Eskom’s nuclear energy division, finally condescended to discuss the future of nuclear energy with us dumb and ignorant Afrikaners at the Atomic Energy Corporation (now NECSA). We were told that they had plans to build as many as 25 nuclear power plants by 2050 and a bright future lay ahead for all of us. Of course nothing came of these “plans” and in 1991, after 5 years of empty promises and simply being ignored, the AEC decided it was hopeless and closed down what was left its Reactor Development Department.
Very few of the engineers and scientists who lost their jobs in this way ever found work in the nuclear industry again. Those of us who applied for nuclear related work at Eskom found that being white, male and Afrikaans, was a serious impediment. They did like our ideas though, and greedily appropriated the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor as their own.
Unable to find work in South Africa some of us felt that we had no option but to emigrate – a harrowing experience I wish upon no one. I am indeed “rolling around like a porker in sludge on this one” but please allow me this bit of “schadenfreude” - after all I have waited some 20 years for some vindication.
Great article, couuldn’t have said it better myself. I just have an issue with the likes of Expat and Owen:
Expat- The situation in SA is far from ideal at the moment, as this blog clearly illustrates, but for me the crucial thing is whether we as South Africans have the commitment to view the current crises as challenges that need our collective action to remedy, or do we find these to be the appropriate time to spew our skeptical venom as opposed to trying to find solutions. Clearly your decision to leave did SA a lot of good, contrary to what you might believe during your chest thumping “I made the right decision” bravado. The last thing we need are people of your ilk, for whom the percieved easy road is the first option as opposed to finding solutions to the problems at hand. I sincerely hope that those of your ilk still around accept your invitation and join you in the jolly land of innumerable sheep… or wherever it is that you are.
Owen- Likening the current scenario to the times of apartheid is puerile, and I am being very polite here. I do not think I have to go to issues of distribution of resources; the purchasing power to access those resources and so forth during the apartheid regime. Just one question, when you say “their skill at keeping the country running through sanctions”. Who was the country running for? I would argue that the ANC inherited a country that was fundamentally skewed in terms of allocation of resources, and many are inclined to agree with me. I make no excuses for them however, since with some foresight and better organisation, I am of the opinion that they would have done a better job, given the duration of their tenure. My point is, apartheid was a barbaric; inexcusable social expirement that has scarred and crushed so many that any inclination to wish for “the bad old days” has to be vehemently discouraged. It’s kind of cliched, but to know where you are going, you have to know where you are coming from, and I might argue, and quite sucessfully I must add, that the current situation is a direct result of the system you seem, by your words at least, to have such deep yearning for. Here’s to hoping you grow up.
I agree that overall the govt is doing a great job, if you consider what they inherited ie; a bankrupt state and a potential timebomb of racial tension, SA remains a miracle and very special place and I for one will never leave. However - this electricity thing and the crime problem undermine all the good work they have done and they wont get my vote unless they pull miracles in the next couple of years.
Predictably, this kind of post generates a lot of the usual “the government are idiots” and “crime is rampant” kind of comments, which most people who read my stuff regularly will know I detest.
My intention here was not to play into the 702 mentality and fuel the whinging. My argument was that there are solutions and they need to be found, planned and executed asap.
As we head into another week of power cuts, there are a few glimmers of hope:
1. The ANC NEC called for subsidies (perhaps even, as I think, tax breaks) for people who install solar power. This is a great suggestion as many wealthy people can afford to install these units. In fact, one of my colleagues suggested that this power is fed back into the grid to help everyone. Again, people could be given financial incentives.
2. Eskom has apparently starting cutting power supplies to our neighbours. As I argued last week, this is essential, and its nice to see they are working on it.
3. City Power and Eskom have been very active and vocal around this issue, with both making various suggestions and implying they are working on plans. Everything is very tentative, but it is worth noting that they seem to be acting. Also the CEO of Eskom did accept “accountability” for the crisis. This falls rather short of the blame I think needs to be assigned, but it is something.
4. A lot of ideas have been coming through (in this forum, and many others) for how everyone can contribute to solving the problem. Whether any of these are implemented is the real test, but there is no shortage of ideas and that is where we must begin.
The only good thing about this power issue is that it’s in our hands to fix. Unlike the far more complex and often misunderstood issues of HIV, crime and various political problems, this is actually a simple problem. And with imagination and will, we can solve it.
Muzie
Your response is so typical of those who blame those of us who have left before even asking what motivated us. In my immediate family - three incidents of violent crime in three years; no employment prospects despite the fact that my partner and I are both post-graduates with enormous experience; carefully considered empirical evidence about the history of post-colonial Africa in the last 60 years and on balance the outcome has been dismal to disastrous; the 99% likelihood of the economy screeching to a halt because it has no power; living under a government that has no will to acknowledge or address serious social problems like shoddy education, declining healthcare, HIV, crime, child abuse, human rights abuses….I could go on forever.
Your comment about taking the easy road is typical of the kind of misinformed comment made by those who think that it is an easy choice - we have left family and friends behind whose welfare is extremely important to us. But I have lived through this before - having to leave a country that was disintegrating into chaos - and we had no safety net. The impact on my family was devastating. Our decision to leave this time was as much an act of selflessness as it was for personal reasons. My partner and I want to be in a position to provide a haven for our family if/when they have to leave - and not have to endure what I did the first time around.
Contrary to popular belief, those of us who leave are not doing so because we are traitors or just don’t have any balls. No - and perhaps you can ask first before so you so self-righteously condemn emigrants - we love South Africa, but whatever personal and professional sacrifices we would have had to continue making, there is no solution to the situation in the country unless 40-million people all think the same way. And they don’t: the reality is that if you are white (and increasingly Aisan) in Africa, your time is up. Show me a single case of how a determined minority made any difference in Africa? South Africans have been talking about, and presenting solutions to Government for the last 15 years - every time the door has been rudely slammed in the faces of businesses and NGOs who wanted to develop job creation programmes, HIV/TB treatment programmes, effective policing and crime prevention policies, and so on. So don’t preach to me about finding solutions to the problems at hand - I have paid my dues, as has my family - and there is nothing more to be done. At least where I am now my tax pays for constant power supply, effective policing, great public transport and one of the best public healthcare systems to be found anywhere.
And I know that if/when there is even the vaguest gint of a scandal, politicians in my adopted country step down because it is the right thing to do - they don’t cry ‘racism’ because someone dared criticise theft, corruption and fraud.
Most important, I have a ‘voice’, and it is heard, because my new home understands that democracy about the people and not the leadership. In my new home, I AM able to make a difference.
I hope that your and your ilk have someone in another country to bail you out when you find that living in Africa is untenable - your children are all unemployed (Malawi), your ‘tribe’ has been slaughtered by crazed machete-wielding hooligans (Rwanda), you can’t buy any food anywhere (Zim), riots shut your city down (Kenya) and half your annual income finds its way into the secret Swiss bank account of the ruling poltical party while children starve to death.
Jarred ,
Is the Eskom crisis not only the first of many transformation / elaborate BEE schemes to kick in that are now making their effects felt .
Sorry but the whole blame it on the whites and apartheid argument put forward by some here is starting to wear thin .
Will it be wishful thinking to expect those in power to start putting SA before race and loyalty to the party in every single thing they do .
1. Want someone to blame? Blame Meneer Mbeki and his ANC cronies. Eskom was prevented from building a new plant from 1998 onwards by the ANC. A Cabinet Memo in 2001 said ESKOM is not allowed to build a new plant for the domestic market. This after all the warnings the government recieved from ESKOM.
ANC price regulation and red tape, and incompetetence keep the private sector out of the market. Who will invest and be told what price to sell his product at? And also experience the ‘culture of non-payment for services.
To top it off, Affirmative action and political appointees has resulted in top slots being filled by those not qualified or experienced to fill them, and a mass exodus of qualified skilled staff.
Then of course there is the by-product of the fastest growing sector of the economy in the new South Africa: crime and cable theft.
2. Turn it off: Yes turn off the power. Lets start in the suburbs where the ANC officials who made these disasterous decisions live. They never suffer load shedding. Let them experience the consequences of their actions. Better yet, let them resign as any other government would if such a fiasco occurred in the western world. If only we could load shed ourselves of the incompetents that are never called to account.
Also lets cut off those that are not paying for it.
3. Other power-generation options: Most other alternatives are not economically viable due to ANC price regulation.
4. Stop selling our power: About 20 000 Gw-h are produced each month, of which 1600 Gw-h is consumed within power stations and 1200 Gw-h exported to other countries. Selling implies the party pays for it. I don’t have info on the tariffs, or whether Mbeki’s in-law Mugabe is even paying. But Zim was cut off by Mozamqique for non payment, so i doubt they are paying. In return for this Ubuntu Mugabe sends us his people to beg,steal and take jobs, as part of his planned land invasions.
It that is not enough, the ANC also send our fuel to Zimbabwe, so SA fuel can be bought in Zim much cheaper than in SA.
After all, you need fuel and electricity power to efficiently control riots by the hungry.
5. Split off the industrial grid: About 45% of all energy consumed in South Africa is used by the manufacturing sector, 20% by the mining sector, 10% by the commercial sector, and 20% by the residential sector, which would include municipalities. Industry cannot have a seperate grid as electricity generation must be near the source of fuel: mainly coal. That limits plants to the Witbank, Ellisras and Natal coalfields mainly. Cut off these main consumers and the revenues they generate would collapse. Not only that, investor confidence would collapse.
Its enough that investors have to contend with a future president charged with corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering, a Chief of Police involved in crime syndicates, BEE laws that force them to hand over huge chucks of their companies, high tax rates, declining skills base and massive crime. Must they also have to face having their power being cut off without notice?
Consulting Engineer in the Water Sector on January 21st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
««Load-shed their asses from here to Cairo. Sorry for you, but you are not our first priority.»»
Very good idea ! I even think in that case that Mozambique, Zambia and Congo should do the same: No sales to South Africa while there are load-sheds in these countries.
Remember: Maputo citizens pay higher fares for Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa power just because a deal was made that RSA would supply that region instead of a straight line from the dam (…)
“First priority” ???? Ok, Then maybe it’s time Mozambique cuts direct power to RSA, and only does it after serving Maputo in first place…
Cool down, and work for alternatives. Later on you will be able to put the invoice at election time… if you still remember all this …!!
The vast majority of our people VOTED for the ruling regime who then “transformed” the monopoly parastatals by having those key performance-bonus-earning executive decisionmakers hired by their colour rather than competence.
You are correct. Power is supplied to other countries according to a contract and assurance agreements. It cannot simply be switched off. The same applies to industry.
The problem is that agreements are entered into without thought of the consequences due to incompetence or political manipulation. That is the only reason for Mbeki propping up his in-laws in Zim. Certainly he is not stopping collapse or illegal immigration.
SA imports less than it exports, but the issue is our commitments.
The government load sheds the people of SA as they believe they have no contract with us. Hopefully, when the time comes to renew the contract at election time, the people do not sign the ballot in the box next to ANC.
Consulting Engineer in the Water Sector on January 22nd, 2008 at 10:09 am
It is good to air one’s feelings about the power cuts or whatever, but please spare a thought for those who do not necessarily want or like the unecessary profanities that belong in the gutter. Surely, in the same way as we expect to see the alternative to power cuts, namely, the efficient maintenance and running of our power plants, we similarly should have the right to expect opinions to be expressed in decent language, that we can feel free to let our children and grandparents read. It would be good to feel that one can refer others to read these valuable comments, but one is precluded from doing so because of the unnecessary and distasteful profanities.
Quote of the week:
“Electricity cuts ‘will not hurt Gauteng’
Business Day - 2 hours ago
GAUTENG’s economy would continue to grow at its projected rate despite power failures that have disrupted various industries’ operations because of Eskom load shedding, finance and economic affairs MEC Paul Mashatile said yesterday.”
Do you believe him? Trust me, I’m a comrade? Like we believed Mbeki over HIV, crime and corruption?
@John, I actually agree with you to some extent. I have had various comments to that effect offline and I do think it’s limiting to my audience.
I have to say, personally, that I find the whole concept of “offensive language” bizarre — maybe a blog post on that soon. But since that’s a reality, I will certainly keep that in mind in future.
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Jarred Cinman is software director at Cambrient, South Africa's leading developer of web applications. He co-founded Johannesburg's first professional web development company and was one of the founders of VWV Interactive, for many years the premier creative web business in the country, winning numerous Loeries and various international awards. In 2001, Jarred co-founded Cambrient, which has, in its six-year history, built the leading local content management system and serviced an impressive list of corporate customers. Cambrient Contentsuite is also the engine behind Moneyweb.
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Well said!
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