South Africa and Xenophobia

The Unconstitutionality of Corporal Punishment

Last year’s Budget speech recognized that government had dug the economy into a large hole as a result of years of mismanagement, corruption and free-spending; and that it was time to stop digging. Not long after delivering the speech the then Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, was transferred to the Home Affairs portfolio and replaced by Nhlanhla Nene – a safe pair of hands from the Trevor Manuel/Pravin Gordhan school of finance ministers.

In last year’s State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa – only a week or so into the job – made a number of commitments. Among the most important were: Taking decisive steps to comply with the directions of the Constitutional Court concerning social grant payments, which were then in a critical situation due to incompetent leadership and a minister who had ignored the Court’s earlier rulings…