You’ll never guess what that means.

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr. Mchunu, published his revised guidelines (pg. 79) as part of a massive “Government Gazette” on the 19th of May. Parties who wish to opine or comment on the proposed new guidelines are welcome to do so in written form for the next 60 days.

That sounds all sorts of above board and pretty much like any change in a civic reg. The “public comment” period – always done. We’ve seen enough school board meetings to know how this can go.

But when you rumble on down through what they’ve laid out as the requirements, perquisites and qualifiers to successfully apply for water use…maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to fire off an email, especially if you had livestock to water or a field to irrigate or a well for your family that needs digging.

If you’re not the right gender…

…or, more importantly, you’re the wrong skin color, quibbling with the details might not be in your best interest.

This is a direct strike at what’s left of South Africa’s farmers, who are are a tiny minority in the country, but predominantly white. The leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance Party unloaded on the government yesterday.

Hot on the heels of newly-gazetted draft Race Quotas designed to ban entire groups of South Africans from employment in certain sectors and provinces, the ANC government has now also gazetted race quotas that will determine access to water on the basis of skin colour.

The draft regulations, published by Minister of Water Senzo Mchunu on 19 May, introduce race quotas for the allocation of water use licences, which are vital to the survival of businesses in sectors such as agriculture, forestry and mining.

Under the ANC’s new water race quotas, applicants that use more than 250 000 m3 or withdraw more than a set minimum amount from streams need to meet strict racial quotas in order to get access to water – the single most critical resource required for life, livestock, agriculture and industry. Depending on the size of their water need, farmers or companies that have not “allocated” between 25% and 75% of its shares to what the regulations call “blacks,” will be denied access to water.

The consequences will be particularly devastating for the farmers who feed us all. 60% of South Africa’s water resources are currently used by agriculture to grow the food we all eat.

It’s not as if South African farmers haven’t been under siege for years as it is, with land redistributions and under threat of constant, unending violence.

Hunted as if for sport. South Africa's farmers are at war. https://t.co/dYAO41evsW pic.twitter.com/8y0oSEZHxE

— k9_reaper (@k9_reaper) June 1, 2023

In February, I did a piece on the horrible state of the SA power grid. Electrical blackouts are an everyday occurrence now, leading to civil unrest in its own right.

Friendly reminder that City Power operates with reduced capacity at night due to attacks on staff, lack of funds and supplies/equipment. Especially on the West Rand.

— k9_reaper (@k9_reaper) May 31, 2023

Murder rates are through the roof.

South Africa is a death trap.

* 80 murders every 24 hours.
* 120 women raped every 24 hours.
* 245 children murdered monthly.
* 11 women murdered every 24 hours.

Support the guys that fight for our firearm rights. Follow – @Paratus2014. pic.twitter.com/9TDgrRT8jH

— k9_reaper (@k9_reaper) May 30, 2023

Not that the African National Congress (ANC) seems intent on doing anything other than pandering for votes or hosting high profile international conferences. The South African economy is spiraling around the drain.

South Africa's trade balance dives by R81.5 billion https://t.co/IPPhjTHTQr

— BusinessTech (@BusinessTechSA) June 1, 2023

One of the phrases being used continually is “collapsing state” and one of the biggest impediments to any recovery is the singular lack of ability to KEEP THE FRICKIN’ LIGHTS ON.

SA retailers and consumers count the costs of a collapsing state

The South African retail industry is in for a rough year as it grapples with weak economic growth, constrained consumer spending power, and persistent load shedding that disrupts operations and imposes significant costs on businesses to mitigate its impact.

…High levels of load shedding have disrupted retail operations and supply chains, affecting margins and price points. With Eskom having ramped up the frequency and duration of power cuts and with little relief in sight, the cost of load shedding to business has ballooned, particularly the cost of diesel. Silke dubbed it the “diesel cost depression”.

Tiger Brands reported this week that for the six months ended 31 March, the total cost of load shedding amounted to R76m versus R12m for the same period last year, resulting in an incremental cost of R48m.

It’s unsustainable. The toll on the country is unsustainable.

On the other hand, tthe ruling ANC ministers, I have to admit, have a pretty good gig going. No wonder they’ll happily finish off the country trying to keep their schweet seats. We think we have our shameless highwaymen in office? Man, they’re pikers compared to what’s running SA.

Listen to this…
This is what the #ANC's 28 cabinet Ministers and there 37 dupity Ministers cost us…#SouthAfrica 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/Qwn1SlocFM

— Danny Nel (@magicdan60) June 2, 2023

By golly, the refrain to this sad country song is so familiar…

Anything to get votes next year….
Those same people going to complain again once they suffer further at the hands of the same anc after the voting..

Same story that's been happening for the last 30 years & anc still hasn't given anyone a better tomorrow as yet for any colour.

— Stephne (@StephnCoetser) June 2, 2023

…I can almost hum it without the music.

Sure glad we don’t have to worry about anything like favored set-asides based on race or gender. The concept is SO un-American, it would literally be an existential threat to our democracy.