I have been a lifelong Public Servant working as one for over 50 years, so I think that I know what happens in 99,9% of the Public Service. In my time I privatized as usch as possible for services to be rendered and the public benefiotted massively from it.
A while ago I wrote that Public Servants the world over are the same irrespective of whether they are in Washington, London, Wellington, Moscow or Tokyo or any other capital city in the world. This past week I got a letter from National Treasury - Government Employees Pension Fund that prove my point once again. In the letter I was informed that there was a mistake in my Pay as You Earn calculation for the 2020 pension year and that they owe me the glorious amount of R21,26, For heavens sake that was a waste of money if I ever saw one.
So lets look at why it was total BS to come up with that letter - and let me tell you that wherever you are in the world a similar thing did not happen to you. Let me explain - why would the sending of the letter is idiotic and a waste of money. The cost of sending that letter is a real waste of money - take into account staff, computer cost, office cost, posting costs, etc. the cost of sending the letter is likely to be double the amount of the R21,26.
The GEPF has the e-mail addresses of all members and could have sent an e-mail advice to members = but I think an advice of that nature may be justifiable if the amount of the problem exceeds - say R1 000. Below that it is a total waste of money.
But then we can repeat Alan Paton's book name - Cry the Beloved Country, The above is a small matter of unthinking Public Servants that is likely to have an impact of say R10 million in total. The National Disaster remans Eskom with its 4 hours a day load shedding. It is destroying the economy and it remains an abomination. The Government appointed its top brass and under Zuma Eskom was the help of some US companies nearly looted out of existence.
When Ramaphosa appointed Mabuza - an experienced businessman with an impressive record of achievement - as Chairman of the Eskom Board - Rupert asked him why he accepted the appointment he said he is trying to serve the country to the best of his ability. That apparently was not good enough - Mabuza resigned this week and the crisis continue.
Why not sell Eskom for R450 billion to pay off the debts of the abomination. The country will benefit massively and so would the exchange rate and value of the Rand. The same should e done with the other malfunctioning white elephants this Government is tormenting us all with.
The fact remains that whatever the Public Service runs is doomed to be a disaster wherever it is done in the world, Socialism depends on laws and regulations drawn up by people without any experience in business operation and destroy economies - always has and always will be. IT REMAINS THE DISASTER FOR HUMAN BEINGS WHEREEVER IT WAS TRIED AND IT WILL NEVER CHANGE.