Thomas Johnson - The Blog

"Cyril Ramaphosa ... the fact no president since Nelson Mandela enjoyed such overwhelming public support and goodwill as he did in 2018. It is his own doing history will remember him as the biggest disappointment since 1994", Max du Preez writes in VryeWeekblad on July 14. We hear statements like this a lot lately, especially since continuous load shedding last year. Before there was growing disquiet from Ramaphorias and former Ramaphorias - media, analysts and business - but not the anger and disappointment at the man Du Preez expresses now.  I say since load shedding because more than anything Ramaphosa and government did or didn't do, that revealed the true, decrepit state of the nation under the ANC. Eskom's virtual collapse is affecting South Africa deeply, in the pocket, that even smarmy, cowardly business leaders, loathe to criticise government under normal circumstances, has joined the chorus of condemnation. For the first four years of Ramaphosa's preside...

 I'm typing this on my tablet, two fingers at a time. My laptop broke end of 2022 and I've not replaced it yet - I have been waiting for the right replacement; it will possibly be my last so it must be good. I'd like a MacBook but can't afford the inflated, aspirational price of Apples. So more than once I've given Computermania, Incredible Connection, Asus online shop and a couple of others my requirements and budget: a good machine, not cheap but not very expensive either (well below a MacBook).  But despite salesmen's (and one woman) polite, but bored interest in my queries and to spend a substantial sum, in excess if R20,000, they're unwilling to to make enquires on my behalf with their suppliers or head office. On occasion they say they would, and take my contact details, but don't. Mostly they can't be bothered. The same applies to emails to their "sales" address (why have that address if no selling is taking place?) I've encounte...