Vaccination by force: Unscientific and unsound
2 December 2021 - On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that government would “undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory.” This has been followed by calls from various other parties for vaccine mandates, including one proposal to withhold social grants from the unvaccinated, or to force jabs.
1 December 2021 - Among the notable and memorable events of the past year was the passing of former President FW De Klerk. It was one of those archetypal ‘opportunities’ to reflect on the state of the country. And there was no shortage of that!
The power of pressure: Firearm Control Amendment Bill held back
29 November 2021 - “Extensive public outcry” has led to the Firearm Control Amendment (FCA) Bill being held back, according to DA Shadow Minister of Police, Andrew Whitfield. The Bill aims to deny South Africans the right to register firearms for self-defence. The holding back of this Bill marks a triumph for the effectiveness of public pressure.
28 November 2021 - After its limited success in the recent municipal elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) faces three main enemies. They are the communications media, the African National Congress (ANC) and other rival political parties, and the ANC all over again.
27 November 2021 - Earlier this month, Adriaan Basson wrote a column attacking the Democratic Alliance (and, in passing, ActionSA) for their refusal to consider coalitions with the African National Congress. This would force the ANC into an agreement with the Economic Freedom Fighters, he suggested, to the detriment of the country as a whole.
26 November 2021 - The events of the past weeks have demonstrated that a political realignment in South Africa is possible, even probable, and quite conceivably inevitable.
President Ramaphosa, veto the Employment Equity Amendment Bill!
23 November 2021 - President Ramaphosa is soon to receive the Employment Equity Amendment (EEA) Bill, approved by the National Assembly last week. While the Bill will pass to the National Council of Provinces for potential alterations, the President has a say, and can veto the Bill. Should Ramaphosa fail to exercise his veto, he will be allowing an unconstitutional derogation of basic rights.
22 November 2021 - F W de Klerk was first elected to Parliament in 1972. He was appointed to the first of his six cabinet portfolios in 1978. In 1982 he was chosen as leader of the National Party (NP) in the Transvaal, becoming national leader of his party in 1989.
21 November 2021 - You have only to contemplate for a moment the scale of the impact of dysfunctional education in SA to recognise how pathetically misdirected, as a transformative tool, are the newly expanded ministerial powers to set numerical targets for the “equitable representation” of people from “designated groups” across the economy.
18 November 2021 - Expropriation without Compensation has been one of the signature policy initiatives of President Ramaphosa’s government. This is ironic, given that he was welcomed as a generally pro-business ‘reformist’. It is a policy thrust that has come at a cost to South Africa’s investment attractiveness and economic prospects. This is certainly damaging, and it is hardly surprising that public debate has revolved primarily around these considerations.
17 November 2021 - Last week Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presented a three-year budget plan that somewhat pleased the markets. Higher than expected tax receipts, mainly the result of the rise in mineral prices, have helped improve government finances. And key fiscal ratios have improved with the upward rebasing of GDP, part of a regular statistical exercise on national accounts.
600 days of lockdown-fatigue – challenge to President Ramaphosa
17 November 2021 - On 27 March 2020 South Africa was locked down. This was presented as a three-week suspension of the liberal norm so that public health providers could “prepare” for the Covid-19 pandemic. 600 days of various lockdown levels have come and gone since then.
