Rand weakens

[desA]

SA needs to get the basics right, otherwise there will be no mechanism to create value.

At the moment, the US is fleecing emerging nations, via return of USD. I've seen this trick applied in SE Asia in 1997/8. The US profited big-time from that crisis. I remember reading about this mechanism, while living in Chicago, around that time.

So, in order for SA to strengthen the value of the ZAR, its economy has to out-perform the US. How to do this?

1. Education.
2. Work ethic. (WORK => 4-letter swearword. HARD WORK => does the swearing never end?)
3. Fair access to work, irrespective of race, to gender.
4. Good government (not the rubbish SA has at them moment).
5. Stability.
6. Peace. (A nation at war with itself cannot stand strong).
7. ...

At the moment, the US is winning the smarts battle...

[Justloadit]

7. Increase the power generating infrastructure (ESKOM), with out this you can not manufacture. To manufacture you need lots of energy, currently we can not expand as the electrical supply system is running beyond capacity.

[tec0]

7. Increase the power generating infrastructure (ESKOM), with out this you can not manufacture. To manufacture you need lots of energy, currently we can not expand as the electrical supply system is running beyond capacity.

True words

We lack the resource to make it all happen and that is POWER electrical power. Truth is nuclear power was always the answer let me explain why without going off topic or I will try and stay on topic "try"

Realistically South Africa is spending a massive amount of wealth to build two "outdated" Power Stations that needs massive and "expensive" support like transport, coal mining and a stable supply. Each of those mentioned support systems demands money thus we pay for it. Now consider that if you build a physically smaller nuclear power plant that has the ability to put out much more power then your "outdated coal Power Stations" with little support "waste management" already you are saving money and keeping contraction cost down.

Smaller construction means a realistic time table that promises a stable energy source and that is exactly what we need for companies to invest. But our mentality towards our exports must change. Example ask large companies to build refineries so that the quality of goods can go up thus we get more money into the country...

[Justloadit]

The use of nuclear power is a no brainer, when you consider the amount of mass from which energy can be created is mind boggling, something like 20 million times. In other words, a ton of nuclear material will yield 20 million times more energy than from a ton of coal.

The problem here has been that the tree huggers have successfully managed to convince an uneducated public to the so called dangers of nuclear power, so much so that France will be dismantling some 20 nulcear power stations that have been in operation some 40 years. If it was so dangerous, would there not be an area of wasteland in the centre of Europe called France?

[ians]

Did I hear someone mention another petrol price increase, 39c ?

[Blurock]

Did I hear someone mention another petrol price increase, 39c ?

Well, what do we expect if we keep buying cheap and mostly inferior clothes, cars and whatever the east wants to dump on our doorstep? We have lost our ability to innovate and to manufacture. Essentially the country is bankrupt as we import more than we export.

Manufacturing is a locus for creating jobs as any factory needs supporting industries such as transport, power, accounting, HR, infrastructure and technicians to maintain it (even machines need to be built and maintained). The USA has re-invested in manufacturing and is bringing a number of outsourced operations back on shore, with good results. Manufacturing is now fuelling their economic revival.

Time to support local manufacturing and home grown goods!

[Justloadit]

Oh how the message falls on deaf ears. Politically motivated and self interest unions are more concerned with the upper echelon well being, that they are creating destruction in the manufacturing sector.The continuation of BEE will not change the landscape to what is really required. Anytime that government gets involved in how business must run, with it's punitive red tape and laws, is a recipe to disaster, and how we are currently experiencing it.

[tec0]

Oh how the message falls on deaf ears. Politically motivated and self interest unions are more concerned with the upper echelon well being, that they are creating destruction in the manufacturing sector.The continuation of BEE will not change the landscape to what is really required. Anytime that government gets involved in how business must run, with it's punitive red tape and laws, is a recipe to disaster, and how we are currently experiencing it.

I am telling you again the first 5 months is going to a mess but that is is nothing compared to what will happen next.

I know for a fact that our power grid will suffer from that point forward due to incompetence, lack of dedication and lack of maintenance. Also we have the green monster to worry about. They want to shutdown our economy or so it looks like.

If you look at how the green monster is eating away at jobs in the US it is scary to think that they want to force first world standards on a third world country. Without mining we have nothing to export and nothing to burn. If we don’t have anything to burn we don’t have power. Without power we are screwed...

See the green monster doesn't realize that to generate 500MegaWatts of power via the sun you need one square kilometre of cables panels and other transformers. So basically to replace our existing power grid you will lose a lot of land and then the power isn’t that reliable....

[ians]

You would think the unions would be fighting for more factories, better living conditions and job creation, instead they fight for more money creating less jobs.

An example...Think back to the days of the domestic worker privileges. We had a lady living on our property, he boyfriend lived on the property, she got fed everyday, lived in a fully furnished room for free, took everything that was replaced ...ie old TV etc. She didn't have to pay for transport during the week, got a package deal when she headed home for the weekend, had political meetings around the dinning room table while the owner was at work. Now thanks to the powers, she brings her own food to work, pays for transport which is going up by the month (thanks to the petrol price increases) has to wake up early in the morning and sort out her life, she risks getting robbed while travelling to work everyday (has happened on numerous occasion to my domestic) has to pay for accommodation, etc, etc. The question...are domestic workers better off now?

[Justloadit]

Nope.

The problem is when one does not understand whats going on around you - namely the unions, stupid decisions are made and the workers are usually the ones that suffer.
Just remember the unions are not there to protect the workers, but rather to protect the leaders, and make slaves of their members. They have achieved that successfully.

What is going to happen, and we are already seeing the beginnings of it in "Brits and surrounds", is an internal revolt, and a worker revolt, because at some time or other, whether educated or not, the hunger pains will become unbearable, and the workers will become violent, unfortunately there is the collateral damage which occurs. The state to defend itself will kill, and we are beginning to see this happen, Lonman, now Brits and other protests which are taking place.

There can never be a peaceful protest, simply because it falls on deaf ears, so every time a protest is actioned, it gets a bit more violent, till there is an armed confrontation. If you see the past history in the last few years, action only gets taken when lives are lost.

[desA]

Justloadit:
7. Increase the power generating infrastructure (ESKOM), with out this you can not manufacture. To manufacture you need lots of energy, currently we can not expand as the electrical supply system is running beyond capacity.

Yes - absolutely - BUT... Power stations take some 15+ years from concept to operation & loads of capital. These are long-term plans fed from a prosperous economy.

For an African economy, let's turn the logic on its head a little - from the power usage end of the equation. Begin reducing power usage as much as possible. Take homes off-grid as much as possible. 50% to water-heating. Fridges & appliances ~ 10%. Cooking ~ 20%.

Water-heating : alternative energy source. Solar->battery->trickle-heat-pump
Fridges/appliances : Solar PV, battery, thermal-storage fridges etc
Cooking : Gas, other?

What effect would this have on the presently-available electrical infrastructure?

[wynn]

The problem here has been that the tree huggers have successfully managed to convince an uneducated public to the so called dangers of nuclear power, so much so that France will be dismantling some 20 nulcear power stations that have been in operation some 40 years. If it was so dangerous, would there not be an area of wasteland in the centre of Europe called France?

Is it 'Thorium' that is a safer more plentiful alternative to 'Uranium'?

[Justloadit]

ESKOM has been attempting to reduce the consumption to each home, by subsidizing solar geysers and CFL lights, however the continuous growth of individual consumers has taken up the saved electrical consumption, leaving us in the same crises spot that we were in before the implementation of reduction in electricity consumption.

There is no solution in site with the present way things are being done, where nTule house is a participant of every deal. The corruption simply increases the cost of the project, and creates a delay in the delivery because everyone is trying to collect his share.

We are going to be in the sh!t pretty soon, all we need is a major failure of one genset, and we will all be in the dwang.

[Dave A]

Well, the notifications on annual price increases from suppliers have been coming in thick and fast, ranging from 7 to 17% so far.

I can see my annual price escalations are going to be well above 6% this year...

[Richard S]

Yep, mine as well. Generally 6 to 16% but some hardware items in excess of 30%.