SA last in maths, science education
By SAPA- The quality of South Africa’s maths and science education places it last out of 148 countries, according to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report. Under the “skills” sub-category, the quality of South Africa’s maths and science education comes in last place, behind the likes of Haiti, Lesotho, Chad, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Kenya. The […]
We should be at R12, 500 already – AIDC
By SAPA Amcu’s R12,500 wage demanded in the ongoing platinum strike could already have been met if producers had not sold metals at below market price, the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) said on Monday. “Lonmin had been systematically over a 10-year period, bar one or two years, underselling their metals,” director Brian Ashley […]
UNEMBARGOED: Consensus on growth cannot be legislated
BY SONGEZO ZIBI- IF THE economic statistics released last week told us anything, it is that the first quarter of this year represented a ferocious smack of reality across the nation’s face. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.6% while producer price inflation breached 8%. Last week’s round of bad news followed earlier news that unemployment […]
Comment: The cost malady; Foresight is 2020
By JONATHAN BROOMBERG Earlier this year, a new breast-cancer drug shown to extend the life of women with advanced breast cancer was rejected by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) because of its extremely high cost. The NHSE’s refusal to pay for this drug at £90 000 a patient, tens of thousands of pounds more […]
Editorial: Deliver the jobs SA needs
By Editorial An economist who got to watch both presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma at close quarters says that Mbeki never wanted to talk about unemployment, finding the problem too intractable, whereas Zuma always makes a point of asking about job creation. In one sense, based on the new Cabinet he announced on May 25 […]
Adopting human rights policy will help MTN
BY PETER MICEK – THE MTN Group recently revealed it had adopted its first group human rights policy. For a company that operates in several of the world’s most conflicted regions, this policy, signed off by the company’s top leadership, is an important step. We hope it signifies a new era of increasing transparency and […]
LETTER: Increase tax rate
By Taku Fundira – IN response to the article, “VAT burden on the poor bothers government” (May 28), I concur on some issues, especially the importance of social grants, and also suggest a way forward when it comes to addressing poverty and inequality in South Africa. Given the critical need to address the unsustainably high […]
The Robots are coming for your Job
By Leith van Onselen – Earlier this year, The Atlantic released a report, arguing that nearly half of current jobs in the United States could be replaced by robots within a decade or two. The Atlantic argued that routine-based jobs or jobs that can be solved by smart algorithms are most at risk, whereas those jobs requiring high […]
Too distracted for their own class
By GREG NICOLSON – Cosatu had a meeting this week from Monday to Wednesday which focussed primarily on internal issues and divisions. With the platinum strike into its fifth month harnessing growing support from the public and serving as a rallying point for the working class and left – Cosatu is not only side-lined but silent. […]
SA’s the fattest sub-Saharan African nation – study
By Mia Milan A new study has shown that South Africa has the highest overweight and obesity rate in sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the reasons stated are the increasing Westernisation and urbanisation of the South African population which results in people living less active lifestyles and consuming more fast food. This poses serious concerns with over-weight […]
