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From the News Disc 6

ANC party goes to pot

Expensive whiskies and liquors flowed the weekend of the African National Congress’s 98th birthday bash in Kimberley.

Party members were there for President Jacob Zuma’s annual January 8 address but also for several birthday parties. Saturday’s rally saw the usual procession of Mercs, Beamers, SUVs and Range Rovers, some of which had lost their number plates.

Also spotted was a six point three litre Mercedes AMG. But it was the price list for Friday’s gala dinner that showed how far this liberation movement had come.

Alcohol included Lagavulin 16-year-old whiskey at R1600 a bottle or some Glenfiddich for just over R1000, and for the real big egos and fancy boys, some Royal Salute or Johnny Walker Blue, both going for R2700 a bottle.

Didn’t somebody fiddle while Rome was burning?

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has already launched a “Wasteful Expenditure Monitor” of the ANC (and since July 2009 has already tracked R605-million of wasteful ANC expenditure).

2 Years ago when IOL exposed Chancellor House’s R5,8-billion stake (as it was then; presumably much escalated by now) in the boiler contracts for Eskom’s new Medupi and Kusile power stations, newly elected ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa couldn’t deny the problem either, promising that Chancellor House would withdraw from the deal. He too identified the problem crisply: “Corporate governance and good business practices are binding on all citizens of this country. No one is above this.”

Of course, the ANC has not withdrawn, and of course, Mantashe and the rest of the ANC leadership will defend the indefensible or stand by and do nothing. Why? Do the maths: the ANC’s election campaign last year reportedly cost about R200-million — or the equivalent of about 3% of its stake in the Eskom contracts. The ANC’s dividend from the contracts is likely to be several times that.

Is that what was meant by “power to the people”? Or should it read Power! – Screw the people.

The female driver of a school patrol minibus taxi that crashed this morning resulting in 20 children being seriously injured has been arrested for drunk driving.

The woman had, according to reports, picked up 20 children aged between six and 13 from around the Tembisa area and was on her way to drop them off at the Edleen, Cresslawn and Global primary schools in Kempton Park when she lost control and rolled the taxi on CR Swart Road at about 7.30am.

 This woman was driving while still drunk from the night before or from a hearty swig before going to work. What kind of supervision is there??????