tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681965017862727203.post6830182172465172569..comments2023-10-12T11:53:27.816+02:00Comments on My Thoughts From The Deep End : Power to the People (or not)American Expathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02120771156192016020noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681965017862727203.post-82596977968206285802016-11-05T00:25:51.721+02:002016-11-05T00:25:51.721+02:00The nuclear plant near Soweto was decommissioned e...The nuclear plant near Soweto was decommissioned earlier than expected for one thing. While it is true that the apartheid government neglected nonwhite areas, they did extend electricity to some of the townships but were notoriously slow about it. During the late 70's into the mid 80's the government was involved with several expensive undeclared wars with neighboring countries that when combined with financial strain resulting from the strengthening of sanctions left little money for infrastructure improvements. By the early 90's plans for electricity expansion were underway. The ANC went ahead and completed the projects that had begun but postponed the rest and spent the money on other things. By 2008 a crisis had developed and load shedding was introduced for the first time. Since then many projects have begun but are far behind schedule and are over budget. Corruption, nepotism, misappropriation of funds, bloated public payrolls, and counterproductive labor laws combine to make one whale of a mess. Add in construction workers who steal materials with abandon and a wrecked currency and the problem becomes that much worse. The people may be free from segregation and white minority rule but they have sadly traded that for a feckless public administration that they were not expecting.W. A. Jeffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16338840796110110051noreply@blogger.com