The rich can’t just get richer

Looked at in South African terms, the R330 million paid over the past year to the exiting boss of Naspers, Bob van Dijk, seems outrageous. But, in reality is “only” just over $18 million.

And, even his continuing fee of R2.2 million a month as a consultant for the group doesn’t seem excessive when looked at in comparison, for example, the $56 billion that the board of Tesla will pay Elon Musk.

We are well aware that uber-capitalists like to shoot down any criticism of CEO pay by saying critics have never run a big business.

However, when the head of a business gets hundreds of times as much in salary as an entry-level worker, we have to wonder whether capitalism is losing the plot, or has lot it entirely.

ALSO READ: Bob van Dijk’s mind-boggling Naspers pay cheque: R1 million a day!

Especially in a developing country like South Africa, companies have a moral obligation to put something back and to make the lives of ordinary people better.

And they do that by paying decent salaries and not allowing immoral gaps in wages.

“Trickle down” economics is the rich man’s fallacy.

Unless addressed, the phenomenon of “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” will light the fuse of a massive explosion of popular anger.

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