On Mbeki: No man can step into the same river twice
Mbeki really did oversee the best years of South Africa's economy. But the real question is, can this be repeated?
Economy
The GNU will not be reforming BEE, but “refining” it
Some observers may be aptimistic about noises about "reform" from Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Trade & Industry Minister Parks Tau. That would be a dangerous mistake
Pretoria leans harder onto China in wake of G20
This is part of a long ongoing process of absorption into China's sphere of influence, accelerated by Trump's criticisms. But it comes at a cost.
Fish Hoek: DA plays the expropriation game
Using a planned shacktown, the City is aiming to tank property values in Fish Hoek to allow them to buy up properties for pennies and inundate the resort town with a massive low-cost housing initiative
Long read | What the GNU is up to with digitalisation
As part of a broader global programme, the plan is to consolidate Digital ID with Central Bank Digital Currencies, and create a global central planning doctrine backed up by universal surveillance. But there is a way out.
South Africa keeps losing its medical specialists
The exodus of young doctors and the ageing of the remaining cohort spells disaster in the near future
Steenhuisen secures important fruit trade deal with China
The stone fruit deal will primarily benefit the Western Cape, which dominates the fruit sector, and will be a welcome buffer against the effects of the American tariffs
The DA’s alternative to BEE: DEI and global governance
Despite having a legal opportunity to legally abandon BEE in procurement since 2022, the DA has offered a similarly draconian alternative with zero chance of success. One wonders why they bother
Return of Iskor? ArcelorMittal faces potential nationalisation
The IDC, holding an 8% stake in ArcelorMittal, making it the second-largest shareholder, completed a due-diligence study last month and is seeking a financial partner to support its bid.
Vampire economy: how Europe is draining South Africa’s energy
Predatory loans, lawfare, and foreign-funded activism drive a hypocritical resource extraction agenda and profiteering off of industrial scams like "green hydrogen" and the shuttering of power plants
Steenhuisen endorses racial targets for agriculture
The Agric Master Plan has been adopted by Steenhuisen without changing the ANC's plan or listening to input from ordinary stakeholders, just unions and megafarms, drawing objections from Theo de Jager of SAAI
SARS crackdown on micro-shipping leads to strain on port freight
Temu and Shein, who were the cause of reforms due to their circumvention of customs duties, have now shifted to traditional sea cargo, dramatically increasing demands on the DBN-JHB corridor