OPINION - Force majeure is one of those interesting terms that have come into common parlance with the advent of Covid-19.
It describes an “emergency exit” clause used by businesses unable to honour contractual obligations suddenly made inordinately onerous by this “act of God” of the century known as Sars-CoV-2.
I’d say, give the person who came up with that escape clause a Bells... if my drinks cabinet wasn’t empty.
This week, I wondered whether our mayors and all our city fathers and mothers had heard of this concept or considered its wisdom.
No one could have foreseen the coronavirus and what it could do to our lives and livelihoods. So, city leaders, officials and everyone involved in the bargaining that led to the salary increase entrapment should reasonably be able to kick down the emergency exit door.
Service quality aside, as a ratepayer I can’t think how our eThekwini city leaders can still feel obligated to honour the pre-virus salary agreements.
Our world has been turned upside down. What was supposed to go up, should now come down or stay put.
Millions of South Africans, yours truly included, have had their salaries instantly slashed or reduced to zero. How any worker, supervisor or manager can expect an increase amid the revenue meltdowns seen everywhere beats me.
We’re all in this together, comrades. An injury to one (ratepayer) is an injury to all (ratepayer and worker).
* Mazwi Xaba is the editor of The Independent on Saturday
You can email him at: [email protected]