Populism stoked by poverty
Of the 10 southern African nations that have gained independence or escaped apartheid, eight are still ruled by the party that gained power. According to an Agence France-Presse report, South Africa’s ANC or Namibia’s SWAPO have managed to brush off communists, freemarketeers, and tribal or clique-based rivals, but now they might face a tidal wave […]
EFF is living up to its promise of unsettling ANC
BY NATASHA MARRIAN WHAT are the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) aiming to achieve with their chaotic entrance into Parliament, which has been hailed and reviled in equal measure by different sections of society? A glimpse of the EFF’s endgame was evident in its year-end statement last year, when it closed the year of its launch […]
Mugabe denounces ‘evil machinations’ by US, EU in Zimbabwe
BY RODRIGO CAMPOS Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told the United Nations on Thursday his country is the target of “evil” actions that are hurting its economy and people as the West seeks to oust him. Mr Mugabe said Zimbabwe “has become a victim of the evil machinations of Western countries, namely the United States of […]
Moyane sounds warning on state overspending
By Evan Pickworth NEW South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Thomas Moyane fired a warning shot against government overspending on Thursday, cautioning departments to work within their means as any “extras” would not simply be dished out. President Jacob Zuma’s appointment of Mr Moyane took many by surprise on Tuesday, as he is a development […]
Charity or justice?
In 2005, President Mandela spoke these words to a crowd gathered in Trafalgar Square, London, campaigning for the end of poverty. As I was recently reminded of the quote, I mentally replaced the words ‘overcoming poverty’ with ‘social protection’. Is social protection automatically an act of justice? How is it distinct from charity?Charity is voluntary. The difference alluded to by Nelson Mandela between charity and justice lies in the relationship between the person who gives and the person who receives.
SADC BIG e-Newsletter
The latest issue of the SADC Basic Income Grant Newsletter is Out. There are new and exciting developments, news, recommended readings and forthcoming events that you should know about. Click here for more
Dirco minister avoids ‘finger-pointing’ over Nigeria church building collapse
By Andisiwe Makinana – The South African government did not hear from its Nigerian counterpart about the deaths of 67 South Africans during the collapse of a church building in Nigeria last Friday. It instead heard from its own diplomats over a period of four days that the incident was “quite serious and tragic”. But […]
South Sudan backtracks on foreign worker policy
By AFP – The South Sudanese government said on Wednesday that it will not be expelling any foreign workers, reversing a policy announcement made a day earlier that met with protests from aid agencies and neighbouring countries. “We would like to make a clear statement that there is no statement in the Republic of South […]
Poor grade R pupils have the least to show
By Carol Paton – THE introduction of grade R in schools has had almost no effect on the learning progress of poor children, a new study commissioned by the Department of Basic Education shows. The study is a blow to the government as early interventions in childhood development have been widely found to improve educational […]
Retirement savings proposal unpopular
By Amy Musgrave – Johannesburg – Calls for a moratorium on changes to retirement savings are growing, with NGOs now demanding action from the government. Labour made the demands in August already. Both it and the NGOs, who are represented by the community constituency in the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), do not […]
