Confuse and Conquer

Every year along the Eastern Cape and KwaZulunatal coast a natural phenomenon takes place during the winter months. Visitors in their thousands travel to South Africa each year to witness this as millions upon millions of sardines undertake their annual migration. South Africa is a stunning destination for adventure and nature travel.

Divide and rule, confuse and conquer, along the Eastern Cape Coast of South Africa, right now and during every winter the pods of sardine, in their millions, are professionally hunted by skilled predators, masters of their art working together in efficient unison. The birds herding, dolphin, shark and the lithe game fish dashing through the glistening pods as they divide the silver mass trying in vain to maintain their security in numbers. Look up, to the side but beware the danger from below.

As mere mortals, amateurs in comparison to the naturally skilled sardine, we sat looking on as the predators entered our lives, friends a year or so ago they all seem to be descending upon us in some form of planned mass slaughter. It wasn’t that long ago, when life was quite fine or even normal thank you, the bank managers actually came to see us, bond originators wooed us, touting for our business daily. Shopping malls opened, holiday plans were made, life was great.

Then came the sardine run, unlike the parallel in nature however, our predators didn’t build up slowly along the coast, they came with speed and vengeance, who was it who started the run on the consumer one wonders, was it the banks, up go the charges, down come the service levels and up went the criteria for borrowing, it’s been a year and some since they changed their guise and descended upon our shores, fresh from their pickings in the United States, gathering the lessons learned after having caused havoc over there, this demon from the deep spread like ink in water, the attack came, sharp and deadly.

Not satisfied with staying in the background and watching from the banks, along came Eskom, like the music from the Jaws movie…da dummmmm…..da dummmmm, they came from the bottom and hit us, hit us hard with a tariff hike unknown in modern industry. In any other country this would have been met by the leadership falling on their sword, by the public termination of employment of all responsible, elected or employed, certainly not paid and promoted, not to mention re-elected, an increase based on inefficiency and bad long term planning. As consumers we might have paid a few home accounts but we certainly haven’t even begun to prepare for the next attack, the effect the increase will have on consumer purchases and on our disposable income.

Like the denizens of the deep, waiting in the dark corners, floating quietly in the background ready to pounce at the first opportunity, the municipal authorities lurked, doing their home work and strategising, flexing their muscles, having watched the banks, they paused for a moment until the Eskom attack took a breather, hit them hard, a complete reassessment of property rates, short, sharp and efficiently cutting what little is left to distribute to organisations infamous for their lack if ability to service consumer needs and deliver on electoral promises.

While the consumer pod was being battered into disarray, rising to keep our heads above water, donating from our own kind to the banks, Eskom and the municipal authorities, along came the birds, flock upon flock, striking from above. The call came to attack and attack they did, the red t-shirts of Telkom, the taxi and municipal workers, interspersed with some opportunistic criminal activity, the strikes came thick and fast, raining in from every angle.

There is nowhere to hide, and that’s a fact, not for anyone. We are all part of the cycle, an integral part of the food chain perhaps in a different disguise occasionally, Eskom employees also use electricity, switch in a light from time to time, but you’re from Telkom I hear you say, you also have to switch on a light or have your garbage collected, red shirt striker or not, you will end up buying your meat and vegetables directly or indirectly from a farmer who raised his price due to the effect of various increases, a hawker or shop who had to pay more for his goods. Oh I almost forgot, thank you Mr Mboweni, the half a percent less I will enjoy from my savings will be really immaterial.

Alan Hawkins - CEO