by Magnus Heystek, Brenthurst Wealth 26 September 2016 Over a period of several years I penned a number of economic commentaries on various websites who would have me. The general thread running through these columns was a warning about what I called a “financial tsunami” heading our way. I thought, naively, that by warning about this […]
South Africa is planning more regulators: this is a bad idea
Seán Mfundza Muller, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Research Associate at the Public and Environmental Economics Research Centre (PEERC), University of Johannesburg and Mike Muller, Visiting Adjunct Professor, University of the Witwatersrand There are a host of reasons why a country’s economy must be regulated. One of the main ones is to ensure that dominant […]
Government to ban foreign business from ‘certain sectors’
What we are grappling with is that those who have looted the state did not just loot money for the building of houses, at Eskom or anywhere. They have also looted the money that is supposed to prosecute them. Loyiso Sidimba, Politics Bureau, MSN 22 September 2019 The government is developing legislation that will bar […]
The constitutional challenges facing the prescription of assets
Paul Hoffman SC, Director Accountability Now 16 September 2019 Until all alternative avenues have been properly explored it will be easy to argue that ‘less restrictive means’ to achieve the purpose of prescribing assets have not been tried. Somewhat vaguely, the President has confirmed that government is considering the “prescription of assets” as a way […]
Prescribed assets will threaten pension savings of millions of South Africans
Legalising the theft of pension funds is not the only way out of the mess the ANC has created. National Treasury has proposed a growth-orientated economic strategy document. (Ashor Sarupen, DA Member of the Standing Committee on Appropriations) Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises Speech delivered in Parliamentary Debate – Tuesday 10 September […]
The African free trade zone can’t ignore continent’s security issues
In a continent rife with competing priorities, the security of people and goods can no longer wait. Integration into the free trade zone must go hand-in-hand with peacekeeping mechanisms for regions at high risk of conflict. Integration must reinforce the power of states. Christian Abadioko Sambou, ATER Sciences politiques, Université de Lille The new African […]
Why South African law on directors’ delinquency is open to abuse
The share price of Old Mutual has recently dropped drastically, partly due to publicity of the unprecedented move by the former CEO, Peter Moyo, to have all 14 non-executive directors on the board declared delinquent and thus banned from being directors. Rehana Cassim, Senior Lecturer in Company Law, University of South Africa 28 August 2019 […]
Harsh measures to ensure compliance with Employment Equity
Top management positions 65.5% White 15.1% African 9.7% Indian 5.3% Coloured 3.4% Foreign Nationals Department of Labour – 27 August 2019 Employment and Labour Minister TW Nxesi has expressed concern at a slow pace of workplace transformation, and promised that Government will now be forced to resort to harsh measures to ensure transformation in the […]
Ramaphosa all but confirms ‘prescribed assets’ is coming
Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA Shadow Minister of Finance In Parliament today DA Leader Mmusi Maimane asked President Ramaphosa a direct question about his government’s position on prescribed assets. The President rambled and dithered at first, but when pressed, he all but confirmed that asset prescription will be introduced by his government. The President also threw COSATU […]
South Africa close to ‘junk status’ from all three rating agencies. What would follow?
Misheck Mutize, Lecturer of Finance, Graduate School of Business (GSB), University of Cape Town and Sean Gossel, Associate professor, University of Cape Town 22 August 2019 The rating agency Fitch recently revised the outlook on South Africa’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating down from “stable” to “negative”. A credit rating outlook indicates the potential direction […]