The blackouts plaguing South Africa seem to be getting worse. The finger pointing is getting more intense as most everyone tries to apportion or shed blame. And now Business Report wonders if the recent woes in power delivery don't augur poorly for South Africans when the country hosts the 2010 World Cup.
There seem to be several questions implicit in the Business Report article. One is about simple delivery of services. But forget about 2010. South Africans need power now. When I lived in Grahamstown, power outages were not unheard of, but they happened and could be endlessly frustrating. The idea of consistent, long, unpredictable outages roiling across the country should be almost unfathomable, and yet that is where South Africa is right now. Forget about 2010. South Africans need to know that they will have access to electricity in February 2008.
Another obvious concern is simply with South Africa's ability to carry out the World Cup. I believe that the country will find a way to do so and to do so well. But the third question becomes: At what cost to South Africans? 20120 needs to be a way to showcase South Africa while at the same time improving infrastructure, contributing to the economy, and providing avenues for growth. If the government and planners have to rob peter to pay Paul, 2010 will no longer look quite so good.