R 3.2 trillion. R 3 200 000 000 000 That is the sovereign debt of South Africa. Or USD 220 000 000 000. USD 220 billion.

Drop in estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of South Africa as a result of recent rolling blackouts means that our debt to GDP ratio is now north of 60%. Debt to GDP ratio was 27.8% in 2008, before Jacob Zuma took over in 2009. Sovereign debt was USD 81 billion (USD 81 000 000 000) in 2008, meaning during the 11 years under Zuma and Ramaphosa our debt has gone up by USD 139 billion (USD 139 000 000 000) or R 2 trillion. R 2 000 000 000 000.

Interest payments per year on our sovereign debt are approximately R 210 billion. R 210 000 000 000 must be paid by SA taxpayers every year.

Total SA Airways bailouts: R 57 000 000 000.  R 57 billion. Accumulated SAA losses: R 28 billion. R 28 000 000 000. You can add another R 2 billion after business rescue. R 2 000 000 000. (“It is not a bailout”, says Pravin). SAA is about to go under despite another loan, this time from DBSA, for R 3, 5 billion R 3 500 000 000. SA Treasury, meaning taxpayers, will have to fork out billions more ( somewhere between R 10 000 000 000 and R 20 000 000 000) to cover loan guarantees at the time of liquidation.

Eskom debt R 480 billion.  R 480 000 000 000. Kusile budget overrun: R 80 billion. R 80 000 000 000. Medupi construction cost to date is conservatively estimated at R 234 billion. R 234 000 000 000. How much of this went to/ goes to Chancellor House, the front organization of the ANC?

Irregular spend by ANC government departments during 2018:  R 50 billion according to auditor general. R 50 000 000 000.

Irregular spend by ANC government departments in 2019, since Ramaphosa took over: R 61 billion.  R 61 000 000 000

Province leading the irregular spend and waste: KZN. 

Medium term bailouts planned for Eskom: R 59 billion. R 59 000 000 000.

Cost of 1999 Arms Deal: USD 4.8 Billion. R 30 billion (R 30 000 000 000) at 1999  exchange rate.

Projected cost of NHI per year R 259 billion says ANC Health Department.  R 450 billion says Institute for Race Relations.    R 450 000 000 000 per year.

State department with the worst accounting record: ANC Department of Health. Yes, that is the department that will administer NHI. Department of Health has never seen a clean audit.

After a year or two of NHI the above numbers will look puny by comparison.

Cost of state capture: Pundit guesses vary from R 1.5 trillion to R 2

trillion. R 2 000 000 000 000. It is probably much higher. The true cost of loss of opportunity to the country due to state capture is incalculable.