VN May 2023

Vetnuus | May 2023 48 I have tried to avoid politics in these articles for very obvious reasons. Now, perhaps a little thought-provoking politics won’t go amiss. We hear that 50% of the young vets in the country are considering immigration – very sad, but more significantly, it will leave a very depleted, aged veterinary population, and the effect on veterinary services and food security could be disastrous. Is there light at the end of this very dark South African tunnel? Well, that is the reason for me entering this fray. In one of my international escapades, I was fortunate enough to share a meal with three international financiers – really big guys in the financial world. Obviously, it was not long before the position in South Africa came up for discussion. Amazingly I was met with very significant positivity, something totally unexpected, but maybe these chaps don’t do negative thoughts! The discussions that followed were very interesting. Firstly, a major component was the total demise of Eskom. Being the major cash cow for all our corrupt politicians, the latter had to move off the agenda. This is obviously not something that can be switched on and off despite our finding that very real in everyday life. The financiers felt that until the lack of power completely compromised the country, the government would not seek help to correct the problem. That was about four months ago. And look where we are now! The government asks local authorities to generate power and for all and sundry to put in sustainable power sources, which the government will subsidize through tax rebates. And when this is done, what will the effect be on Eskom’s income? So that was step one of their predictions. The next step was that if assistance were to come from the business side of things, all the corrupt, trough-feeding, over-bloated politicians would be held accountable. This turnaround is a long slow process, particularly with a completely dysfunctional NPA. However, certain heavyweights are feeling the heat, and the likes of Ace have virtually disappeared for the better of the nation. A long road lies ahead, particularly when certain liquidators are gunned down. Step three was that they felt the ANC was rapidly losing ground and would battle to reach a 50% majority in the next election. This idea poses very different questions about who was expected to take over and, more importantly, which party could run the country if the ANC was not there. The EFF is considered more of a nuisance than a real threat. And obviously, a coalition party was the domain of mature politicians, which is not prevalent in South Africa. Would the ANC go out looking for a coalition partner? Not at this stage because it would be admitting defeat before the elections even started. But what has happened? Well, last week, the older members of the ANC called on the party to solicit white membership and that this should constitute at least 20% of the party membership. For their commitment, whites would be given representation in the Cabinet and other significant government posts. Who would ever have thought that? But is this a good thing? Of course, with the likes of big business leadership blatantly joining the party, it would not be seen as a coup, and then economic direction would be far better. And then yesterday, the DA had their annual convention, and what was the significance here? Well, the leader stated that the arch-enemy was not the ANC but certainly was the EFF. Can something be read between the lines? Or am I just being hopeful? Could we see the ANC and DA getting into bed together? Think about it and the possibilities of a well-run country resulting from this union. v Life plus 23 without parole Mike Lowry Mike Lowry has been in veterinary practice for "life plus 23" years. In this column, he shares his experiences and opinions . Regulars I Life plus 23 + 23