This Digest focuses on the 2026 State of the Nation Address, with special regard to issues around foreign nationals, immigration, and undocumented persons, as mentioned by the President and in the various reactions by other political parties and groups to the framing of these contested issues. Refugee Digest 98 – Migrants, Refugees and Displaced Persons […]
In the State of the Nation Address on 12th February, President Ramaphosa announced: “To strengthen our fight against gang violence, I am deploying the South African National Defence Force to support the police, as we did to great effect with illegal mining. I have directed the Minister of Police and the SANDF to develop a […]
As we wait to hear what Minister Enoch Godongwana has to say to us on Wednesday, a quote by Terry Pratchett, in his book The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, springs to mind: “A good plan isn’t one where someone wins, it’s where nobody thinks they’ve lost.” That’s essentially what a budget is – […]
According to the National Gambling Board’s annual report, which was presented to Parliament in October 2025, South Africans spent R1.5 trillion on gambling activities during the 2024/25 financial year, which is a R400 billion increase from the year before.1 Engaging in gambling activities can result in severe socio-economic and psycho-social consequences. BP 642 – Gambling […]
In President Ramaphosa’s long speech, just shy of two hours, certain words and phrases were repeated hundreds of times: ‘government will’; ‘we are going to’; ‘South Africa must’; ‘we need to’. All these point to the future, to things that have not happened yet but which, we are assured, are in the pipeline. Response – […]
George Bernard Shaw once wittily remarked that if all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion. Contrary to Mr Shaw’s remark, many South African economists think that the tide is turning in favour of our economy. However, they also caution that the fluidity of geopolitical tensions may just dampen the […]
Every year, around August, the Office of the Auditor-General releases its Consolidated General Report on Local Government Outcomes, which lays open the parlous state of most of our municipalities. This year’s report, covering the 2023-4 financial year, shows that only 41 out of 257 municipalities achieved a clean audit – technically termed ‘an unqualified audit […]
In a video message to the Conference of the Parties (COP) 30 meeting in Belen, Brazil, on 17th November, Pope Leo XIV warned that the present efforts to safeguard the earth are not enough: “Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat. One in three people live in great vulnerability because of […]
Marginalization is a fundamental driver of multiple, intersecting vulnerabilities that are compounded by social, economic, and political factors which overlap and intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination and heightened vulnerability. These include lack of documentation, homelessness, unemployment, trauma, addiction, systemic failures and immigration status. BP 638 – Marginalisation – the Driver of Multiple Vulnerabilities […]
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed worldwide on 25th November and marks the beginning of the ‘16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children’ campaign. Ahead of the campaign the South African government, following a debate in the National Assembly and after “evaluating the persistent and […]
