May 11 2004

So we're all suffering under the burden of high oil prices. I suppose more so over here than elsewhere. Fuel is now at R4.77 a liter with a government levy of an additional 5 cents to the liter and another 15 cents to the liter for the road accident fund. This fund is a total waste of time. It's been bankrupt a couple of times, claims take years to sort out and the payout borders on scandalous. Seems the whole world is reeling under the hefty crude oil price. An e-mail I received this week urge people to start boycotting specific oil companies. Starting with Esso (which is BP here by us - according to this mail), it is said that if people stop buying from them, they will surely get a knock on the bottom line (where it counts). Seeing that they're not really to blame, will it put them out of business? Hard to say. Profit margins are good even with government regulations. What do you think? Take part in the Poll and let you vote count.

No wonder there are so many millionaires in this country! My "esteemed" neighbour (former MEC for safety and security - Gauteng) sold up and moved to a bigger and better place in one of our richer areas. Wonder what portfolio she's holding these days. Must be a lot more bucks than before. Shows you that it's not what you know but who.

A (sort -of) bright light at the end of the tunnel - we won the 2010 soccer bid. Old news already, I know. Think about this, with Aids as bad as it is, the majority of our population are being overly optimistic if they think they'll still be alive in 2010! Bad joke, I know - but so true. Already there's talk about a possible ticket price of R800 a head and how many of these guys will be able to afford that. Of course there's the prospect of our "mega" rail coming into operation that is once they've got all the outstanding issues sorted out. And of course, if some of the officials are prepared to give some of their gravy train money back to help fund the project.

There's always the national lotto to help make up (or loose) the necessary funds. Chances are that you'll loose more than win, but as the saying goes "if you're not in it, you can't win it". Now they've made things even easier with an online lotto scheme. If you're interested in playing some Pounds or Dollars, visit the South African Lottery Online and see what your chances are. Regular readers will know my viewpoint of this but these guys have been bringing their side for some time now. What I still do not understand though is all the money that goes into sport?

Talk about money - back to motor vehicles and the steep prices we have to endure. Again in Topcar Magazine - a Toyota Corolla 140i has a list price of R109 222. Cutting out governments' piece of pie this car will only cost R87 377! The Competition Commission is a government organisation. Now what are these guys doing imposing hefty fines on motor manufacturers / importers if they made R6 billion in VAT alone last year out of motor vehicle sales? Then there's still VAT on services, fuel levies, accident fund levies, toll gates etc. etc. The banks are also not complaining because of the necessary funding required by the car buyer. Insurance companies are also smiling. And through all this government is taking a cut in some way or another. According to Topcar R1.4 billion on vehicle and parts ad valorem excise duty was collected last year with almost R3 million from unrebated import duty. Maybe this is just another scheme from government to make us think that they care!

"Hi Brenda, where would you like to be buried?" "Eish, me? I'm not fussie!" Yes, we all know the diva of the township is dead. Strange though how everyone always criticized her life and now that she's dead she's being hailed as the best thing that ever happened to South African music. Hypocrites? Our country is full of them. I'm not a big lover of African music, but we've surely lost a colorful character in Brenda.

Ousted Haiti president Jean-Bertrand Aristide is making South Africa his home for a while. On invitation of our "humbled" South African government. According to a front page article in the Sunday Times South Africa offered him temporary asylum "until his personal situation normalizes". Of course this comes at a price. Private offices, high-level security, bodyguards and of course a French teacher for his two kids.