While you were asleep

That Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is facing a tough task and an even tougher audience is an understatement. The minister will be delivering his inaugural Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement this afternoon against the backdrop of rising joblessness, increasing food and fuel prices, unsettling load shedding and an increasingly restive people.  Although he has some room to play thanks to a commodities …

While you were asleep: Enoch Godongwana faces tough task to make the numbers dance Read More »

On Tuesday, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter reaffirmed his commitment to the struggling power utility amid growing calls for him to step down as the head honcho while rolling blackouts hit the country hard this week. Business lobby group, the Black Business Council, released a statement calling for De Ruyter’s resignation saying they were “optimistic” …

While you were asleep: I won’t quit says Eskom’s De Ruyter Read More »

Eskom’s troubles are mounting and with it ours. With almost nine hours of outage (for some even more) in a single day it is almost impossible for especially small businesses, on which we pin our hopes for job creation, to operate. The state power utility yesterday escalated load shedding from Stage 2 to Stage 4 until …

While you were asleep: Struggling to find the silver lining behind the ever darkening clouds Read More »

Fourteen years and counting. The power crisis has deepened and South Africans may need to literally celebrate Christmas by candlelight this year.  Eskom is battling much bigger headaches than what are necessitating Stage 2 load shedding this whole week. The power utility warned yesterday afternoon that it could not rule out higher stages of load shedding as the …

While you were asleep: Fighting one of our darkest battles – and losing! Read More »

We will have to wait three more weeks for the traffic light to change on our tourism fate with the UK after our biggest source of inbound tourists decided to keep the light red, this despite our dwindling Covid infections and rise in vaccinated.  But among the countries given respite were hard-hit Australia and Singapore, which recorded its highest number of cases over the last two days since lockdown in 2020. The UK’s restriction on South Africa …

While you were asleep: Kicked while we’re down Read More »

As the debate over mandatory vaccinations heats up, a sharp upturn in infections due to the Delta variant and a slowdown in inoculations are forcing governments from around the world to implement strict measures – from compulsory shots and weekly testing for anti-vaxxers to vaccine passports and even ‘no jab, no job’ policies.  In South Africa big business believes our only fighting chance against future Covid waves and lockdowns that stifle economic activity is getting …

While you were asleep: From no jab, no job to why you have to register to vote this weekend Read More »

With the number of infections dwindling and a total 14.6 million vaccine doses administered, South Africa is relaxing restrictions to Alert Level 2 from today.  But although South Africa is fast becoming a vaccinated site, and it is easier for people to access vaccinations wherever they are, President Cyril Ramaphosa last night warned of the risks of not taking the jab. Citing stats of the Western Cape Health Department he said 96% and 98% of the …

While you were asleep: From relaxed restrictions to Apple sneak peek Read More »

Just as South African Airways (SAA) is getting ready for take-off on September 23, its subsidiaries are getting their wings clipped with employees at Air Chefs unpaid for over a year now while Mango continues with its business rescue. A deal was concluded with The South African Transport & Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) on Monday …

While you were asleep: Salary delays and no more bailouts Read More »

The chickens have come home to roost for notorious US short-seller Viceroy. The group’s “research” reports have driven down share prices of many a South African company, including Aspen Pharmacare, Resilient Reit and Nepi Rockcastle. But it was its relentless attack on one of South Africa’s biggest banks Capitec that turned the tables on the “group of individuals that see the world differently”.  The Financial Services Conduct Authority slapped it with a R50m …

While you were asleep: Who really is the wolf in sheep’s clothing? Read More »

The imprisoned former president that went from not being ill, to hospitalised for a routine check-up, to being placed on medical parole is now going to cost us taxpayers R400,000+ in medical bills.    News24 reports normally, inmates are hospitalised in state hospitals, but Zuma’s privileges as former president bought him a stay in a private hospital and a get-out-of-jail-free card, whether he met the conditions for …

While you were asleep: Zuma: The ‘gift’ that keeps on taking Read More »