South Africa faces unprecedented economic challenges. Some, such as the billions of Rands scurried away by those bent on emptying the state coffers, have been self-inflicted; others, such as the devastating effects of COVID-19, are imported. When Statistics South Africa released its latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the three months to March 2020 (this […]

South Africa’s economy and business environment consists mainly of energy intensive industries including manufacturing, transportation, mining, and agriculture. These are some of the main contributors to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and to economic growth. There is a series of connections linking most of these industries – and their abilities to achieve economic growth […]

In July 2019, during the Presidency Budget Vote, President Ramaphosa identified the “pattern of operating in silos” in government as a challenge which led to “lack of coherence in planning and implementation and has made monitoring and oversight of government’s programme difficult.”1 In August 2019 a new approach called the District Development Model (DDM)was adopted […]

Increasingly in recent times, the link between trafficking in persons (TIP) and the vagaries of migration has been noted. Maria Giammarinaro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Trafficking in Persons, reminds us that “profound changes are needed in States’ approaches to migration and trafficking. Restrictive and xenophobic migration polices, and the criminalisation of migrants, as well […]

Introduction This is the 500th Briefing Paper published by the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO) since it was formed in 1997. Over the years, we have used these ‘century’ papers to offer an overview of one or other aspect of where we are as a country: how far we have travelled away from our divided […]

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been more and more discussion regarding mental well-being and how this is being compromised both by the pandemic itself and by the restrictions imposed by the lockdown required to contain the infection. “Mental health experts are warning that as the world pandemic drags on, the mounting combination of […]

BP 497 Climate Change Finance and Water