freeFACTS - May 2020
The Covid-19 epidemic has forced many South Africans to change the way they work and learn. But access to tools which make it possibly to work or learn remotely are not shared equally among people in this country. This edition looks at access to various communication tools and how these trends have changed over time.
The Ten Year Lockdown, with worse still to come
4 June 2020 – This report shows that the easing of South Africa’s stringent Covid-19 lockdown occurs against the background of an unacknowledged policy ‘lockdown’ for at least the last ten years, characterised by ‘radical economic transformation’ policies aimed at changing the ownership, control, and very structure of the economy.
Keeping Liberty Alive: Through Covid-19 and Beyond
14 May 2020 – This report highlights the risk of political rights and economic freedoms being eroded through measures adopted purportedly to deal with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the importance of society’s resisting such erosion.
freeFACTS - April 2020
This edition of FreeFACTS looks at the current lockdown, with specific focus on the economic impact of the lockdown and how public support for it has changed.
Lifting The Lockdown Now
30 April 2020 – This report makes the case on economic and humanitarian grounds for the immediate lifting of the lockdown, with key public-health conditions, in order for South Africa to avoid the catastrophic consequences of mounting hunger, hardship and economic decline.
A Trim Down Approach for South Africa: Getting SMME's, the economy, and the country into a state of recovery
16 April 2020 – This report recommends that government immediately adopts a ‘trim down’ approach as a way both to manage the risks of Covid-19 and to avoid incurring dangerous economic damage.
freeFACTS - March 2020
South Africa, like most of the rest of world is dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. However, there have been serious questions raised about whether the country’s healthcare system can cope with a sudden influx people suffering from the virus. The edition of FreeFACTS looks at the state of the South African healthcare system and provides some key figures on major diseases.
Friends In Need - Covid-19: How South Africa can save #LivesAndLivelihoods
25 March 2020 - This report provides detailed policy proposals on how South Africa can confront the grave challenges presented by the combined effects of the Covid-19 outbreak and the underlying economic crisis in the country.
freeFACTS - February 2020
This edition of FreeFACTS looks at how South Africa’s demographics have changed in the past decades, with specific reference to issues such as the proportion of South Africans who are urbanised and the decline in the fertility rate. These changes have implications for policy makers and how they need to plan for the future.
Thirsty Land: South Africa’s water crisis and how to overcome it
12 March 2020 – Among the key findings in this report is that the appointment of an independent water regulator is essential if South Africa is to overcome its perpetual water crisis.
South Africa's Minibus Taxi Industry: Resistance to Formalisation and Innovation
5 March 2020 – This report assesses the potential for innovation and modernization in South Africa’s minibus taxi industry.
FreeFACTS - January 2020
This edition of FreeFACTS looks at the recent matric results as well as historical trends. It raises issues of quality and what the implications are for South Africa.
