Percentage based salary increases

A visual reflection on why percentage based salary/wage increases will only ever widen the gap between rich and poor:


Over the twenty years from 1995 to 2025, with 5% yearly salary increments,

• The person who started with a salary of R2000 per month ends up with a salary of about R8600 per month.
• The person who started with a salary of R12000 per month ends up with a salary of about R51000 per month.

So the difference in their salaries went from R10000 in 1995 to about R43000 in 2025.

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The problem with Cape Town

I spent the last week in Cape Town work work/studies related stuff. Cape Town is always lots of fun, lots of things to do. And I have a friend there who has the two most lovely little girls, so I get to do things like go to the beach with kids - it's so much more fun with kids!

But one of my worst things about going to Cape Town is that I'm never allowed to pay for my own meals. Yup, I go out for lunches, dinners, with friends... and they always pay. I have quite a few friends who have moved to Cape Town. And now they all have jobs and all the trappings of having jobs in the big city. So they think, I suppose, that it will be generous of them to pay for their student-friend's meal.

And it is generous. Only after person after person after person insists on paying for your meal, it becomes quite humiliating!!!

Of pretense and protest

A wonderful article by Professor Njabulo Ndebele:

Of Pretense and Protest

At the end of his recent Mail & Guardian article, "In the rainbow nation, colour and class still count", David Smith recalls "a cynic whispering" in his ear that's not easy to forget: "The whites are pretending it didn't happen; the blacks are pretending to forgive." As I thought further about this, I concluded that, in the light of the interracial events Smith recalls in his article, there may in fact be a positive value to pretence.

...

The rest here.

Kennedy Road petition

If anyone wants to sign an online petition, asking for President Zuma to intervene in the wake of the Kennedy Road attack, here is the place to go:

Petition

The letter to Zuma is a bit sensational. And I'm unsure of all of the facts of the situation myself. But for me, calling on government to act is at least one form of action we can take against this.

We are often admonished to keep our government to account, that democracy requires active citizens working with government, insisting that government meets its responsibilities to us.

Sometimes when I hear important people saying things like that I get inspired. But sometimes it just irritates me because I feel like I am being commisioned to do something I have no power to do. And there this important influential person is exhorting me to use my non-existent influence.

So I signed the petition, bacause at least it is one small thing I can do.

Kennedy Road Attacks

"Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC)

Emergency Press Release, Sunday 27 September 2009

Kennedy Road Development Committee Attacked – People Have Been Killed

Last night at about 11:30 a group of about 40 men heavily armed with guns, bush knives and even a sword attacked a meeting of the Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC) in the Kennedy Road community hall. There was no warning and the attack was a complete surprise. The Abahlali baseMjondolo Youth League was holding an all night camp for the Youth League nearby. The camp was not attacked but the people at the camp were intimidated and threatened. An international film crew at the camp witnessed the attack.

The men who attacked were shouting: 'The AmaMpondo are taking over Kennedy. Kennedy is for the AmaZulu.” The KRDC and other community members who rushed to their aid were unarmed but tried to defend themselves as best they could. Some people were killed. We can't yet say exactly how many.

The attackers broke everything that they could including the windows in the hall. It was later discovered that they had destroyed 15 houses belonging to people on or connected to the KRDC before launching their attack. They were knocking on each door shouting 'All the amaZulu must come out' and then destroying the shacks. Some are saying that three people are dead. Some are saying that five people are dead. Many people are also very seriously injured. As far as we know two of the attackers were killed when people managed to take their bush knives off them. This was self defense.

The Sydenham police were called but they did not come."

Read more here.

And more info on the Abahili site and the Western Cape Anti-eviction campaign site.

An interview with two young women living in Kennedy Road:

"Rushed (and Rough) Transcript of an Interview (anonymous of course) with Two Young Women Still Living in Kennedy Road

It’s not just demolishing shacks now, it’s moved to full-scale looting. They takes fridges, TV’s etc, and put them in their shacks.
- when people try to ask about who has taken their stuff, the answer is just ‘the community’ took it
- everyone who has been working at the community hall is associated with ‘the forum’. even people who are working at the drop in center.
- no one can enter the hall without being escorted by Jackson Gumede, senior official in the ward and active ANC members
- Another shack was demolished last night because the mob found out that the shack owner was part of the KRDC. they destroyed the shack, are taking people’s possessions.
- We are so angry about attacks on S’bu, S’bu has done so much for this community, the hall was like a bush before, he erected the drop in center. community is going to miss him. for the past fifteen years, ANC has done nothing, he organized so much, send children to school. we are lost without S’bu. we need those leaders like him. i wish he was the councillor. i don’t konw what we’re going to do without him. there’s now no creche to take the children, the mothers are now staying at home to take care of the kids, can’t work. the people to take care of the people with HIV and AIDS, they are after them now, they don’t care what contribution you made to the community but because you’re not ANC, you’re not amongst them…
- Baig is happy that Sbu is gone, he’s not going to expose that Baig is not doing his job properly.
- they promise to bring SAPS, last night the poeple’s shacks were destroyed but the police were parked at the community hall, they don’t even go down to see what’s happening in the informal settlements. they promised to take care of it but right now they are not there. they said they will be there. we are on our own. it’s risky even for them too. i think it’s better if they brought the soldiers.
- the councillor is the one who is working the situation, in other places ANC is doing a good job, here Baig doens’t know how it is to live in informal settleents, he doesn’t know how hard it is to sleep without food in your stomach, he never felt that pain, that’s why he’s acting like this. Our sufferings is his victory. Baig is happy when we suffering. he’s getting paid to oppress us. our government is paying baig to oppress us.
- they are opposing everything that is good about south africa – the constitution, the freedom charter.
- People can’t openly say they are Abahlali in Kennedy.
- She had left a bag with a friend, her friend was asked by other community members to ‘choose sides’ – Cope or ANC. people from the community hall/drop in center are called Cope. Why are you supporting her, they asked. She feels bad for her friend because she’s going to suffer for being her friend. they have been friends for a long time."

from here.