printer friendly version

Editor's note

I have never been shy about my die-hard 'Proudly South African' attitude but recently two specific incidents have had even me doubting my positivity...

The first is the ongoing power-shedding saga - need I say much more? The lack of productivity during normal working hours and the time wasted sitting in traffic when the traffic lights are not working etc, etc (I write this having sat in said traffic for over two hours again this morning during my 18 km drive to the office!) Not to mention the impact on security, as one News24 reader so aptly put it: "Security - The age that we live in dictates that we tend to live in our very own fortress of solitude complete with high walls, electric fencing, motorised gates and alarm systems. Are our insurance premiums going to skyrocket because when the power goes out everything else does as well? You generally tend to get a discounted rate if you have electric fencing and an armed alarm response system but what happens now when the power goes out and our homes become a virtual feeding frenzy for all those unscrupulous individuals that wish to liberate us of our possessions. Am I able to then put in a claim to Eskom so I do not lose my 'no claims bonus'?" (http://www.news24.com/News24/MyNews24/Your_story/0,,2-2127-2128_2255764,00.html)

I heard on the news this morning that "Eskom says it has received claims totalling at least R400 000 from irate electricity consumers. The claims are for damages incurred as a result of ongoing power outages. Added to this, Cosatu is preparing a class action suit against Eskom to ensure workers are compensated for losses." Only R400 000? I would have guessed the figure to be much higher.

The other experience involves my driver's licence, which expired on 27 September. Being the law-abiding citizen that I am, I obviously went along in August and stood in the queue to renew it. On 4 October I went back to collect my new licence card, which had, according to all the documentation, been processed on 10 September. But it was not in my file and the licensing department eventually conceded - after a few weeks - that it had been lost. I still do not have a valid licence and the receipt of payment for the renewal application, which I was told would serve as proof that I had in fact applied, was only valid for three months and expired on 29 November...

I am told that the department has reapplied to get my licence, but the applications keep getting rejected, apparently based on my 'ISS Status' being 'unknown'. Now, if someone there could just tell me what an ISS status is...

Roll on a true biometric system, one that works and would prevent anyone else from using my 'lost' licence.

Till next month,

Lynne Larsen

Share this article:

Further reading: