Zuma Survives and Sells Organisational Renewal - But Will He Be Able To Do It?

Looks Like Zuma & His Party Leaders have succeeded in retaining power and getting buy in for an "organisational renewal" of the ANC which seems to address many of the bad habits that have developed as they enjoyed power.

from: IOL
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But will he be able to make it happen? After all at the start of his term he committed to creating jobs and improving public services, both of which are worsening rather than improving!

One Could Almost Think Blade is Positioning For a Bid For President!

There have been some quite astonishing statements and comments by Education Minister Blade Nzimande over the last while, that are sensible and seem to be aimed at those who have missed the gravey train! which is of course the bulk of the population.

None as direct and appeasing to many, as his latest!

from: MG
(click image for full story online)

Where amongst others he made the following comments

 

"There is lots of money doing the rounds in our organisation from people trying to buy votes, people trying to get into leadership positions,"

 

"If we allow this thing of buying others and being bought, it's not just a danger to the alliance, it's a danger to the country. If such practices are allowed to succeed it means the entire country will be turned into one big tender.

"We want nationalisation as the SACP that will benefit the overwhelming majority of the people. We don't want nationalisation that is aimed at rescuing some BEE-type companies that are in trouble.

Nzimande said at the moment it was possible to get a license to mine coal "just like that". "Many people have been enriched by that. That it is criminal. It is money that could be invested in productive economy."

"Many of these black shareholders do not even understand the operations of the companies in which they bought shares. It is money that is used to finance luxury lifestyles."

Nzimande has His Say on the Press - Still Smarting Under the Mount Nelson Story?

I wonder why Nzimande doesn't like the press? - IOL reported him as saying:

journalists were always "looking for bad news out of the ANC and its alliance partners".

Could it be he was exposed by the press or does he know ANC can't stop the misbehavior which is the raw material for the press?

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What Can ANC Claim About The Succesful World Cup? - Patricia de Lille was Wrong!

At the DA's congress Patricia de Lille, in identifying the need for the Government to start delivering, implied that the ANC had succeeded in delivering on the World Cup.

The ANC had missed their service delivery targets for many years, but suddenly it had managed to organise the World Cup, she said.

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Whether government should claim that for themselves is debatable - FIFA surely managed everything as was clear from all reports. Without FIFA continually forcing the issue its my contention that it would have been very different.

Is that not after all what is wrong with the current actions - everyone knows we need to create jobs and eliminate poverty! Just read your RDP or ask Jay Naidoo. But the government is incapable of converting money consumption into outputs!

This inability to implement is aggrivated by what de Lille sees:

"The problems are often a result of poor governance and greedy leaders. President Jacob Zuma is in the media for all the wrong reasons and in the meantime service delivery protests are on the increase.

"The real source of poverty is ANC corruption and greed."

SAA Board Issue a Summons for R31 million from Former SAA CEO Who They Gave a R 13 million Golden Handshake!

Its no wonder state companies spend millions on world cup tickets and ministers R 40 000 for a stay at a hotel. All these people have some kind of entitlement feeling, although there's seldom anything to justify it!

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Even if its Legal & Constitutional it Can Still Be Wasteful! Especially at R 2 700 a night!

The ANC press release regarding Minister's hotel costs is off the point and develops political rhetoric out of incorrect facts.

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We only consider Blade Nzimandi's Mount Nelson stay, as that is based on a statement from his department

The report accuses the press of not informing itself that

"There is nothing immoral, illegal or unconstitutional in public representatives staying in hotels as this is no breach of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) or the provisions of the Ministerial Handbook."

However the press have never said it was illegal or unconstitutional expenditure and the PFMA surely doesn't concern its self with moral issues!

The press says it is wasteful which is defined as using or expending something of value carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose). To stay 15 days in a hotel that costs R 2 700 a night surely meets that definition. Other There are other options that could be used - these are not some kind of superior class who need luxury.

The real cause of the wastage is the incompetent planning that undertook the refurbishing when the minister was attending parliament and not when he was in Pretoria.

Thats all pretty straight forward and not arguable - another post will address the less concrete issues.

 

 

So R 3 000 a night was sensationalism by the press - it was only R 2 700 - The Department of Higher Education!

So the reports that Blade Nzimandi paid R 3 000 a night for his room at the Mount Nelson was incorrect. Ranjeni Munsamy said the Saturday Star had "sensationalised that figure" and it was actually very reasonable.

(click the image to open website)

So it turns out he had to stay in a hotel while his official house was being renovated - it would have made more sense to do that while he was in Pretoria, rather than while parliament was sitting. I don't suppose we can expect him to lodge with one of his comrades to save money - so what else is there except the Mount Nelson for 15 nights, not the "sensational" R 3 000 a night but the reasonable R 2 707 Rand a night!

Lets hope this is not a reflection of how Higher Education is going to go.