John Kane-Berman says the govt does not seem to particularly care about the problem of youth unemployment
John Kane-Berman says the govt does not seem to particularly care about the problem of youth unemployment
Sara Gon writes on the inequality myth in South African politics.
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing South Africa’s political leaders is to develop an effective empowerment policy that can accelerate the movement of large numbers of disadvantaged people into the middle classes.
John Kane-Berman on the social, attitudinal, and economic changes this country needs.
The president is clearly reckless as to how much his vendetta against Mr Gordhan undermines the country’s growth prospects, pushes up the costs of servicing R2.2 trillion in public debt, or brings closer a ratings downgrade to junk status.
The immense power of party headquarters means that the South African political system has become “Sovietised”, in that Parliament and the Cabinet are both accountable to party headquarters in Luthuli House rather than to the electorate
18 February 2018 - Here’s a brilliant assessment of the state of South Africa by one of the country’s foremost analysts. Frans Cronje is the CEO of the respected Institute of Race Relations, which since its formation in 1929 has been acknowledged as the country’s leading political and economic think tank.
1 February 2018 - Poverty, in the conventional view, explains why township schools are at the bottom of the class – but the exceptions prove otherwise.
22 February 2018 - While newspapers will herald the budget as ‘good’ and ‘brave’ and ‘striking a balance’ between competing objectives at a difficult time, it is none of these things.
RURAL Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti says of proposals to restrict land ownership by foreigners that "we won’t do anything foolish". No doubt we are all reassured by this. But it does seem foolish to suggest a cap of 12,000ha on farm sizes irrespective of whether locals or foreigners own the farms.
Will tighter gun laws prevent crime in SA?
Speaking after his budget speech, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan reminded us that the private sector was responsible for generating 70% of gross domestic product (GDP).
The IRR has warned that if the Rand and oil prices remain at their current levels motorists could expect a fuel price hike of 41c/litre in April. On top of that the increase in the fuel levy announced by the finance minister in his recent budget speech could see motorists paying between 70c/litre and 80c/litre more for fuel.
In his fortnightly column in Business Day, the Institute's CEO, John Kane-Berman, argues that the government should stop wasting money on land reform because it will not fix the wrongs of the land acts.
A comprehensive audit of black economic empowerment (BEE) ownership deals since 2001, recently compiled by Intellidex, a consultancy, shows that R317bn, free of debt, has been transferred to black South Africans by the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
No health care service can be ‘free’, and the overall costs of implementing the NHI will undoubtedly be high. Just how high is difficult to tell, as the White Paper on the NHI published in December 2015 lacks necessary detail on the medical benefits to be provided.
Employment figures released on Monday show that the mining sector shed 4 000 jobs in the first three months of the year. A further 30 000 mining jobs were lost in the last six months of 2015.
This column, a new initiative between Moneyweb and the IRR, has been conceived to provide theories to where South Africa could be headed. It will track the country’s progress monthly against the scenarios set out above and speculate as to which of the four futures is coming into view.
In the first edition of this column we set out four scenarios for South Africa the morning after its 2024 election. This month we reveal the key indicators to identify which of those diverse futures is coming into view.
The South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) recently published a "twelve-point plan for a better South Africa". We were accused of casting "pearls before swine" and told that "the establishment is dead set against each and every point of this pie-in-the-sky plan". Maybe. But it is not unusual for governments to adopt plans they once dismissed.
