I’m so broke, I can’t even afford to pay attention. I know it’s an old one, but it’s still a good one. And it sums up our circumstances at the moment.
And I’m not just talking about the annual Janu-worry that we all start feeling now. I’m talking about the fact that both the interest rate and the cost of electricity are about to increase.
Again! The cost of living is beyond ridiculously absurd now.
I look around me and I see increased homelessness, fewer people able to afford fun road trips, and more “for sale” signs on suburban lawns than ever before.
I notice young couples counting their pennies at the checkouts, Friday night takeouts reduced to once a month, and the demographics changing at public hospitals.
These are frightening times as all income levels are feeling the pinch. Government is going to have to do something drastic about the economic crunch as a matter of urgency.
The number of working indigent are increasing at an alarming rate, and that is going to harm the economy even further as spending drops, meaning less tax collection, causing the national kitty to shrink.
In a nutshell, government can’t wait for this near-recession to self-correct.
The Eskom increase felt like a spit in our wounded face, where salt has already been rubbed in by repo rate and petrol price hikes.
It seems to me that when it comes to Eskom tariffs, a moratorium-subsidy would’ve been the most prudent thing to do from an economic, PR and political point of view.
One thing’s for sure, the fallout is starting to be felt at grassroots level.
It’s almost insignificantly small at this stage, but that is exactly how every cascade begins – incrementally at first, and then all at once.
And in some individual cases, the disaster has already hit.
The middle-aged man whom I met at a government clinic recently proves it.
From his car, speech and appearance it’s apparent that he lived well until recently, and that he finds his new circumstances rather embarrassing.
He is one of many who have now become dependent on government, instead of contributing to the economy and paying taxes that help others.
We are at the point where every mitigating action that government fails to take, brings us a few steps closer to catastrophe. Government isn’t broke just yet, so at least they can still afford to pay attention.
Let’s hope they do.