The Titanic analogy has been used to describe the sinking ship South Africa, the latest by Bruce Whitfield in the Business Times.
One story, as retold in the Oscar-winning movie Titanic,
says captain Edward Smith locked himself in the bridge and
ignored pleas for help and leadership from crew and passengers.
I thought of that story when I worked for an organisation where management hid in their offices - literally - while incipient disorder prevailed.
President Jacob Zuma, the cabinet and ANC are like the apocryphal Smith. But the blame for the mess we're in cannot only be left to the ANC alliance.
Business leaders and the sycophantic business media and analysts who, until the ratings cliff and Nhlanhla Nene's firing, refused to acknowledge or honestly speak about the trouble the economy was heading for. I'm not an economist, and I could predict the potential danger!
Business, ANC-aligned media and taxpayers praised the recent budget that sought to placate them with palliative, anodyne and ultimately ineffective and costly measures, rather than the radical therapy the country needs.
They just don't get it. And here I disagree with Business Times et al, Pravin Gordhan doesn't get it either and is not the white knight they make him out to be (I'm not referring to the SARS investigation).
Perhaps the country must hit rock bottom before the ANC sees reason. What I don't understand though, is how they are imperilling the country essentially for the vanity of one man - Zuma.
I thought of that story when I worked for an organisation where management hid in their offices - literally - while incipient disorder prevailed.
President Jacob Zuma, the cabinet and ANC are like the apocryphal Smith. But the blame for the mess we're in cannot only be left to the ANC alliance.
Business leaders and the sycophantic business media and analysts who, until the ratings cliff and Nhlanhla Nene's firing, refused to acknowledge or honestly speak about the trouble the economy was heading for. I'm not an economist, and I could predict the potential danger!
Business, ANC-aligned media and taxpayers praised the recent budget that sought to placate them with palliative, anodyne and ultimately ineffective and costly measures, rather than the radical therapy the country needs.
They just don't get it. And here I disagree with Business Times et al, Pravin Gordhan doesn't get it either and is not the white knight they make him out to be (I'm not referring to the SARS investigation).
Perhaps the country must hit rock bottom before the ANC sees reason. What I don't understand though, is how they are imperilling the country essentially for the vanity of one man - Zuma.
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