The Old English Proverb – it never rains but it pours – best captures the South African mood regarding our economic outlook for the New Year. Record high unemployment; an interest rate hike; petrol price increases; and the aftermath of the July unrest are all forming a perfect economic storm threatening any growth prospects. The […]
In many ways the needs of children have been overlooked during the pandemic. It is important to be mindful that children have had interrupted schooling; they have lost opportunities to play with friends; and have spent extended periods of time at home, often in difficult circumstances where they may have experienced financial hardship and hunger. […]
At a media briefing on 25th November, a government spokesperson revealed that Cabinet had decided to discontinue the renewal and operation of Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP), which are set to expire on 31st December this year. Rumours, which the Cabinet statement called ‘fake news’, were circulating that the permits would be renewed for a further […]
The past weeks have emphasised again the extreme provocations, deep insecurity and lack of political will to support displaced persons. This ranges from the plight of refugees on the border between Belarus and Poland to the arrest of a priest helping migrants on the border of Mexico and the USA and the marked increase in […]
There is sufficient basis in climate science base and the supporting evidence to show that global surface and atmospheric temperatures continue to rise as a result of further warming. Although natural drivers and internal climate variability could likely have an influence over the changes observed in global temperatures, these are not enough to explain the […]
In an interview before delivering his first Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS, or ‘mini-budget’), the new Finance Minister jokingly said that the difference between him and his predecessor is that he wears better shoes. The mini-budget that Mr Godongwana delivered bore testament to the shoe reference – it was not much different to the […]
The Roman Catholic Church traditionally observes the last Sunday in September as the World Day of Migrants and Refugees; 2021 marks the 107th year of this observance. It is on a different date from the United Nations Day for Refugees, which is in June, and it also parts company with its secular equivalent by deliberately […]
We are asked to participate in our democracy by casting our vote in the local government elections on 1 November. Many will be wondering what the fuss is all about, who to vote for, and who the candidates are in our wards. Hopefully the articles below can shed some light. Economic Digest 25 Local […]
In many parts of the world including South Africa, the policy approach to mobile communities continues to be one which ranges from growing ambivalence to increasing exclusion and, in some parts of the world, downright hostility. As has been noted often, the pandemic continues to render already vulnerable communities even more insecure. The links in […]
President Ramaphosa’s announcement yesterday that the public will be able to participate in the process of selecting the new Chief Justice is a significant and welcome development. There are few public offices more important than that of the CJ, who is not only the head of the Constitutional Court, but the leader of the judiciary […]
