A formidable multi-tasker, a leader in the true sense of the word – it is no surprise that South Africans have chosen Dr Imtiaz Sooliman of Gift of the Givers as the Daily Maverick’s South African Person of the Year, with Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and the vaccinators as runners-up. In the 29 years since Sooliman founded the foundation on a divine instruction, Gift of the Givers has earned deep affection and respect as it provided R3.8bn worth of aid to people in need in 44 countries. Sooliman himself was presented with coveted awards, while the Twitterverse nominated him for everything from president of the country to a Nobel Peace Prize, reports the Daily Maverick.
On the other end, in an equally no-surprise, overwhelming majority vote the award for Villain of the Year went to Jacob Zuma, with runners-up the instigators of the July unrest and Zweli Mkhize. The Daily Maverick says 2021 was the year that proved that Zuma’s presence does not have to be seen to be felt. There’s an argument to be made that leaders should be judged not just by their personal actions, but also by the actions that followers undertake in their name. By this standard, the terrible losses sustained by the country in July 2021 must now be added to the litany of destruction wrought by Zuma and his backers during his presidential decade, double damning the jailed former president.
Covid-19 and its variants delta and omicron are also undoubtedly going down as Global Destructors of the Year, with inflation and our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels as runners-up.
As omicron continues its path of destruction, daily infections in South Africa almost halved, though hospital admissions and deaths rose significantly, reports Bloomberg.
In China the outbreak is growing, while in the US, omicron accounted for 73% of all Covid-19 infections, with almost all of the remaining cases being delta. While Australia and the UK are resisting lockdowns despite surging case numbers, New Zealand has delayed the phased reopening of its borders until the end of February, and omicron cancellations are starting to pile up, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan cancelling the New Year’s Eve celebration in Trafalgar Square.
In the markets, the rand opened a bit softer in the R15.80s from last night’s R15.76 close against the US dollar. “EM currencies generally rallied in New York last night despite worries over the spread of the omicron variant weighing on markets,” comments TreasuryONE.
President Erdogan’s introduction of steps to alleviate the impact of the weak lira on the Turkish public saw the lira rally extending its gains this morning after rallying over 20% last night. “Erdogan is still sticking to his drive to push interest rates lower, which means high inflation is still a worry, and we can expect continued volatility in the lira. On the local front, the 4th wave Covid infection rate appears to have peaked for now, which could support the local currency,” adds the forex trading house.
On the commodities front, metal prices are trading relatively flat this morning after yesterday’s poor day. Gold is currently at $1,791, platinum at $936 and palladium at $1,767, while Brent crude is trading slightly firmer at $72.20 a barrel. “We saw a big sell-off in oil yesterday as fears over omicron’s impact on demand pulled the price lower.”
Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:
SA Business
Businesses to pay more for unrest insurance as Sasria adjusts premiums – The Citizen
Woolworths reveals its supply chain sources – and China dominates the list – Fin24
The real cost of taking out a R10,000 loan – BusinessTech
Tech
UCT student’s foot-powered washing machine wins international design challenge – TimesLive
Apple has an AirTag problem: Criminals are weaponizing the $30 tracking device – Mashable
Scientists uncover fossil of car-sized giant millipede—’It was a complete fluke of a discovery’ – SkyNew
Markets
China tech stocks fall as top livestreamer fined for tax evasion – Bloomberg
Asian markets, oil rise after sell-off but virus casts shadow – AFP
Iron ore’s rally hits 50% as China economy support fans optimism – Bloomberg
Opinion/In-depth
2021 IN REVIEW: Out of the frying pan into the fire – but even the darkest storm clouds have silver linings – Daily Maverick
Human cost of China’s green energy rush ahead of Winter Olympics – AFP
Welcome to the hotel Covid quarantine, where you can’t wait to check out – Daily Maverick
Video
Inside the South African lab with the first omicron findings – Wall Street Journal
WATCH | Bheki Cele flushes 20 000 litres of illegal alcohol during festive season tour – News24
COVID-19 Vaccine | Taking the jab to the malls – eNCA
