Time turned around

Sunday mornings used to be a frantic rush to get to church. Now they're a frantic rush to stay in bed and laze around. I like it this way!

I have grave concerns about the well being of my family in South Africa. I think that economic meltdown and consequent social unrest could happen far faster than we think possible.

I may be thought of as a doomsayer or afro pessimist. It's your prerogative to label me with whatever pejorative you please. However it's also your responsibility to look to your own salvation and I offer the following thoughts on the subject:

1. Is SA sufficiently different from other countries that have experienced social upheaval as a result of infrastructure failure and consequent economic difficulties that their experiences cannot be extrapolated with some degree of confidence? Examples that come to mind include Burma, Argentina (a couple of years ago), Germany in the 1930's and a slew of African countries from the '60s to the present.

2. Which is more likely :

a.) Millions of poor black South Africans endure another 14 years of declining living standards while waiting for the promise of "better life for all", looking across the valley to where the lights are on (although powered by generators).

b.) Enough poor black South Africans vote for someone who promises to redistribute the wealth now rather than waiting for the economy to grow and make everyone rich.

3. Is there sufficient difference between the providers of other infrastructure (roads, rail, airports, water, sewage treatment, waste disposal, telecommunications etc) and Eskom to make it likely that they will be able to maintain current service levels? Or is it more likely that they have also amnesiated (my word) their institutional memory and eviscerated their operations and maintenance capacity through affirmative action and poor planning?

I'm off to church now - maybe more later.