It has been worrying me for a while.  What do you do when there appears to be a big contradiction between a fundamental belief of yours and the behavior of bunch of people you really admire?

The easiest solution is to keep your head down, and hope it all blows away.

Which is pretty much what I have done, apart from a tweet or two, in the big debate over the SA Institute for Race Relations (SAIRR) and its funding by Coca Cola.

Some hysterical hype-prone journalist (aren’t we all?) sparked the controversy, with a piece revealing that the SAIRR, which had produced a report condemning the planned sugar tax, was being funded by the most evil of the sugar pimps – Coca Cola.

The conclusion drawn by many is that the SAIRR report was crap, the Sugar Tax must be introduced, and the SAIRR is so compromised it could take over the running of the SABC.

I, on the other hand, would prefer to take all of this with a pinch of salt.

As any informed person will know, think tanks like the SAIRR depend on donations to function.  As the Coca Cola people are operating as a legitimate, tax-paying business (I hope) there is nothing wrong with them funding the SAIRR.

Does this mean that sugar research conducted by the SAIRR is tainted?  It might be – if the institution were not run by people of the highest integrity.  Its boss Frans Cronje is one of the most impressive individuals with whom I have ever engaged, was a regular guest when I anchored a successful radio show, and remains a highly respected commentator on the troubles of this troubled country.

It is utter crap to suggest that he would ever allow the research of the SAIRR to be tainted or purchased by the soft drink barons of Atlanta.

If an SAIRR report says the sugar tax will not do much to improve health, but will be a sneaky way for government to further pick our pockets, that is good enough for me.

So, what lessons are there in all this?

It may be that the SAIRR was naive, and should have been more upfront about its funding, better at realising the political sensitivity of the sugar debate.  I remember when my economist hero Tony Twine wrote a report on fracking, which I seem to recall had been funded by Shell, this was seized upon by the greenies, who suggested the funding made the research invalid. What Bollocks.

However, I am sure that in future there will be more transparency about research funding, despite the risks of the abuse of such info by vested interests and even by interests who don’t wear vests, and that this will prevent mischievous journos (aren’t we all?) from writing naughty pieces.

And maybe, just maybe, South Africa’s business and diplomatic communities should become a bit more appreciative of SA’s truly independent research institutions, should better fund them, transparently, and enable them to better demonstrate their independence from any one source of support.

For my part, I shall continue to oppose the sugar tax.  Once again it is an example of the bullying nanny state pretending to look after our best interests while grabbing our sweet money and kicking sand in our faces.

 

Tweet of the Day:

Shit Jokes (@ShitJokes):  I had sex with a hooker last night. I must have been pissed. I can’t even remember going into the rugby club..

 

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Headlines can often inform, although sometimes they mislead.   On occasions, they can amuse.  A recent one in Engineering News was a belter. It reported that power parasital Eskom was desperate to land new industrial customers.

Those of us who have lived through the load-shedding (Eskom-speak for blackouts) nonsense which accompanied Eskom’s recent failures to keep the lights on will find it laughable that this useless utility has veered from asking us all to save power to a new situation where it is begging people to buy more of the stuff.

Of course, we all know why Eskom has a bit of extra capacity at the moment.  The economy is growing at an annual rate of under 1%, so demand is subdued.   When (if?) the economy picks up, demand will soar, and Eskom will be once again begging its customers to curb their consumption.

In the future, we will need more generation capacity, and government seems determined to spend a few trillion on a new fleet of nuclear power stations.  This will no doubt delight anyone who owns uranium mines in South Africa (the Guptas) and anyone who can get his or her grubby little hands on a share of the tenders and cash envelopes which will surround the nuclear deal.   If you thought South Africa’s arms procurement process was a charter for crooks, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Of course, not everyone agrees that nuclear is the best way forward.   A recent report by the CSIR state research centre casts doubts on the cost-effectiveness of nuclear, and suggests it might be cheaper to instead invest in gas and renewables.  Less scope for corruption, so less enthusiasm from government.

One bit of advice which might be of help to South Africa’s industrial customers is to do as much as they can to reduce their reliance on Eskom – to adopt new energy-efficient technologies, to generate their own power wherever possible, to locate new plants where there will be supplies of (Eskom-free) gas.

For Eskom to be begging for new custom is a bit like Samsung saying that its phones and washing machines are great bargains.  Just don’t plug them in or rely on them for anything other than decoration.

And what about Eskom?  Well, the sooner it is dismantled and private sector expertise is brought in to run efficient and functioning generation units and transmission grids, the better.   A well-managed supplier of elecricity may even be able to win new business without begging for it.

 

Tweet of the Day:

The QI Elves (@qikipedia): Word of the day: WHIPMEGMORUM (Scots) – a noisy quarrel about politics

 

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Sitting and waiting recently for a conference to begin, noticing that once again a keynote speaker from government wasn’t going to pitch – a depressingly frequent occurrence – I started working on a list of things the organisers of such events should consider. It doesn’t take a lot of extra money to get it right, but it is truly astonishing how few events are well planned and hosted.   For what it is worth, here are a few ideas from one who has suffered frequently at conferences and presentations which have been awful.

1). Half an hour before this latest conference was due to kick off, there was still no one from the organisers to hand out badges, copies of the agenda, and to meet and greet.   Given the unpredictability of rush-hour traffic, it is quite usual for people to start to trickle in early, and someone should be there to absorb the trickle.   A failure to be on duty in good time is both lazy and rude.  What then annoyed me even more was the late start.   It is a discourtesy to people who can and do turn up on time to delay the proceedings for the benefit of the latecomers.   Ministers and government officials tend to be the worst offenders, but journalists are pretty terrible as well.

2). When the agenda did get handed out, it did not contain the full names of the speakers, some of whom were substitutes, so I had to often guess their names. Topics seemed to be juggled around as well.   This was not acceptable.

3). Once it all got underway, most of the presentation slides were in such a small font they could not be easily read. Why are speakers so blinkered? Why do they clutter their slides instead of giving clear and simple bullet points?   Something which looks OK on a computer screen may be really challenging when it is projected on to a larger screen in a large venue.

4). The event was held in an auditorium with no visible power points. To add insult to injury, some goon handed out free notepads and pens. This is the 21st century, you people! Phones, tablets and laptops have replaced papyrus and ink. Now give me a phone or a computer, and I will come to all of your conferences, and may even decide not to complain about the crap coffee.

5). It was difficult to take notes on my tablet, as the tiny pullout table was too small for my IPad, let alone my laptop. I know it is called a laptop, but I really don’t want it resting on my crotch for hours on end.   The seating was in an auditorium, and not at rows of tables, the latter being my preferred arrangement for those of us who are planning to follow the proceedings, and not those who pretend we are MPs in the parliament chamber, and quietly doze off.

6). It was almost impossible to hear at least one of the speakers as their mike skills were poor.     And the content of some of the presentations overlapped. It was clear that not a lot of work had gone into preparing for this conference, which meant that it was less valuable than it should have been.

7). The MC was awful, as is often the case. He failed to properly introduce the speakers, and seemed keener on telling bad jokes than on keeping things running smoothly, or announcing changes to the schedule. I do hope that taxpayers’ money was not wasted on paying him a fee (it was a government event). Mind you, it is seems to be a growing trend for MCs to indulge themselves at the expense of the audience. And yet the organisers of such events appear indifferent to this poor performance. Maybe they are spending too much time raking in the cash?

8). The food was not to my taste, but others seemed to enjoy it. Catering at conferences can be good but is usually dire. Even when a lot of corporate money is involved, the organisers appear oblivious to the difference between good and evil. No wine was offered with lunch, which was a shame as I really could have done with a drink. Mind you, I recently attended an evening function and was told there would be no booze until it was over. Not my idea of hospitality.   There seems to be a belief that drink is a danger, whereas I tend to regard it as a social lubricant. Let’s face it, the Cape wine industry is one of the wonders of this country, and no opportunity should be missed to support it.

9).   People can’t always listen to every presentation during a conference, and certainly can’t copy down every point in a gabbled slide presentation.   Where speeches and presentations are available they should be speedily posted on a website, or if access is to be restricted, they should be e-mailed to delegates.

That’s all for now.   See you at the next conference. I will be the one sulking in a corner, gobbling my take-away pizza and taking large glugs from my hip flask.

Tweet of the Day:

Shit Jokes (@ShitJokes): I’m not saying I hate you, but I would unplug your life support to charge my phone.

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Reading some of the reports of the troubles Samsung is undergoing with its fire-prone phones, I am once again reminded of my biggest problem with South African restaurants: a lack of consistency.

It is great having a fine brand and a fine reputation, but it can be destroyed in…well….a whoosh of flame.

My recent Jo’burg dining experiences have included two visits to the Morningside centre, where there are several restaurants, some of which have delighted me in the past.

When my partner in wine Michael Olivier and his even-more charming wife were recently in Jo’burg, we went to a place called the Green Peppercorn, where I have in the past had splendid food.

Now, I doubt they knew that there were two food writers in our party. The service could not have been more annoying, and my own dish should have been hot, but wasn’t. That was after we waited far too long to give our orders, and then again for the food to arrive.

An expensive, but underwhelming, meal for five badly hit my budget, and I am afraid this is a place I will avoid in future.

Similarly, with its neighbour Pomodoro, a place where there is some pretention over its fine Italian food, which may be Italian but falls short of fine.

Steak Tartare (not necessarily an Italian favourite) was made with beef which was too fatty, the vitello tonnato had dry meat in a not-inspiring sauce, and the less said about my pasta dish, the better.

Once again, a restaurant which can deliver, because I have eaten well there before, but which let me down, and don’t get me started on the service – which had trouble itself in getting started.

It is not easy to run a restaurant, and I have every respect for someone who can do it well. But fine dining ain’t cheap, and if I don’t dine fine, that is it.   Farewell.

Now I know there are some food writers in South Africa who shower praise on the most unspectacular joints, and appear to have their heads stuffed into the less fragrant cavities of the restaurant traders.

I therefore caution you about any restaurant which sounds too good to be true.

And when you do find somewhere which really pleases and impresses, tell your friends about it.

After all, we all want gastronomic experiences…..on which we can dine out.

 

Starbucks

Having waited a while for the queues in the new Starbucks store in Menlyn Maine to die down, I finally gave it a try today.   Certainly, the quality of the coffee was on a par with those I have drunk on several Continents, even though it took a little while for the coffee to be brewed.     There is a Virgin gym just above the Starbucks with a coffee shop which is distinguishable only by its inconsistency. Guess where I will be getting my morning coffees from now on (queues permitting)?

 

Rob Davies

I may have been a little harsh on Trade and Industry Rob Davies when I wrote recently about his daft plan to raise the legal age for boozing from 18 to 21.   I still believe this is an unworkable law, and like all such legislation, it will bring the law into contempt.

However, I do accept the Minister’s sincere and rightful concern about the dark side of alcohol use.   I was also heartened when he recounted a tale of a spat he had with the Brits over booze bottles.

Apparently, London was insisting that more SA wine should be imported in bulk, to be bottled in the UK, adding to employment there and reducing jobs in SA.

Rob Davies said he countered that if the Brits did that with our wine, we would do the same with their whisky – and I can personally attest there is a healthy demand for the water of life in Sunny SA.

Britain backed down, although I believe we still export too much bulk cheap crap at the expense of the overall image of our wine industry.

I do hope that during the consultation period on the Booze Bill there will be much constructive engagement.

Alcohol does have the potential to destroy lives, but, by God, it can also make many lives so much richer and more enjoyable.   7 days a week.

Let us all keep a sober perspective on this issue.

Cheers for now.

 

Tweet of the Day:

Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself: where the heck is the ceiling?

Shit Jokes

 

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There are some wars we may never win. Despite all the rhetoric and the successful assassination of Saddam Hussein, the threat of terror remains.   There may be frequent victories, some of which may never be reported, but from time to time the terrorists will succeed and another atrocity will be committed.

The war against rhino poachers is another example of a seemingly fruitless campaign.   Stats released at the weekend show that in the period from January to August this year. 458 poached rhino carcasses were found in the Kruger Park, a fall from the 557 in the same period last year. Environment Minister Edna Molewa said she was “pleased…that poaching is on the decline in the Kruger National Park….”

Yes, minister, the number is down.   But almost two rhino a day being taken out by poachers?

Heaven knows how much money and effort is being deployed to combat poaching, but it clearly hasn’t resolved the problem.   The word ‘poaching’ is a fairly tame one, when you consider what is happening. Maybe ‘butchery’ would better convey the savagery of this criminal slaughter? And, of course, those rhino outside the Kruger Park are also at risk. As the minister admitted “the number of rhino poached has increased in a number of other provinces in comparison to the same period in 2015, such as Kwa-Zulu Natal, Free State and the Northern Cape.”

And the poaching of elephant is also on the rise.

The Minister had been due to give a News Conference to announce the latest poaching stats, but this was cancelled. Apparently she has been too busy preparing for the COP17 CITES conference which is being held in Sandton later this month. Which is a shame.

The current levels of rhino poaching are a national disgrace, even though there has been some progress in scaling down the criminal cull in the Kruger Park.

And while we all look forward to positive discussion and progress at the CITES talk-shop, actions speak louder than words.

The rate of rhino massacres remains a national disgrace, and while the Minister may be pleased with recent progress, we remain deeply horrified and appalled.

Must try harder.

 

Tweet of the Day: Environmentza (@environmentza):   Minister #EdnaMolewa: We cannot celebrate as yet. We need to work harder and harder to deal with rhino poaching

 

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Tweet of the Day: Environmentza (@environmentza):   Minister #EdnaMolewa: We cannot celebrate as yet. We need to work harder and harder to deal with rhino poaching

 

ZA Confidential is a subscription newsletter.   To join the elite, to invite us to events with edible food and drinkable wine, for sponsorship discussions or any other communication, please contact:   zaconfidential@gmail.com    

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