Cry our beloved country, cry. Scenes of widespread violence and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are littered all over global media reporting that the violence and the looting of our country is ironically rooted in trying to free the man that allegedly looted our country.
But there is much more to the violence and President Cyril Ramaphosa last night admitted that the violence is fuelled by anger over socioeconomic issues such as joblessness, hardship and poverty. Still, this doesn’t give anyone the right to violate another citizen’s right to protection before the law.
The deadly protests are not only casting a pall over our economic recovery , but also place our fight against Covid-19 at risk. Containing the riots is of vital importance as it not only causes significant damage to property and loss of life, but it is also derailing the government’s vaccination programme and hitting the rand hard.
To restore calm and stability to all parts of the country without delay, Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of the army to help the police prevent any further loss of life or injury, protect property and safeguard social and economic infrastructure.
So, forward and upward, our beloved country – in the words of our President:
“Let us choose the path of peace and renewal. Let us stand firm and emerge stronger. Together, we will defeat those who seek to destabilise our country, who seek to reverse the gains we have made.”
Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:
SA Business
South Africa needs bold action to create jobs, World Bank says – Bloomberg
As KZN and Gauteng burn, will the ConCourt change its mind on the jailing of Jacob Zuma? – Daily Maverick
SA’s top ten suburbs command an average house price of R12m+ – MyProperty
Markets
ANALYSIS: Wall Street charges ahead but some option traders hedge against sharp pullback – Reuters
Oil up, investors predict further fall in US crude inventories – Investing.com
China tech’s stock pain shown in widening gap with US giants – Bloomberg
Global Business
Flipkart: India online retail giant raises $3.6bn in latest funding round – BBC
De Beers makes diamond buyers cough up with another price rise – Bloomberg
Bernie Sanders seeks $3.5 trillion for Democrat-only infrastructure package – Business Insider
Opinion
South Africa’s 1994 ‘miracle’: what’s left? – The Conversation
How the early 2000s KZN ANC recruitment drive and 2020s truck torchers helped ignite Zuma-aligned looting – Daily Maverick
The roaring 2020s: A booming decade may follow Covid-19 – Forbes
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