It’s inevitable. Local borrowers will have to tighten their belts even more from tomorrow when the SA Reserve Bank is set to announce an increase in interest rates, with economists pricing in another 25 basis point hike, but the bank could surprise on the upside. Following the US Federal Reserve chairperson Jerome Powell’s hawkish tone last night and …
While you were asleep: Jerome Powell has sneezed… Read More »
The report on Covid-19 procurement fraud which exposes but the tip of the corruption iceberg, lays out in detail the extent of the feeding frenzy of taxpayers’ money meant for procurement of Covid-19-related goods and services in state departments and institutions. The Special Investigating Unit report released after 18 months of scrutiny name names and points to how …
While you were sleeping: Two damning reports into corruption justify demands for action Read More »
The standoff over a Russian invasion of the Ukraine is intensifying, causing panic in global markets that are already on edge over tightening monetary policy. In the latest developments on the geopolitical crisis, US President Joe Biden has placed 8,500 troops on heightened alert for deployment and conferred with top European allies on a unified …
While you were asleep: Time to fasten the seatbelts as troops gear for Russian standoff Read More »
Our country is burning. The latest fire at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Tshwane, so shortly after the Parliamentary building in Cape Town was gutted must surely raise some red flags. Although not a National Key Point, Waterkloof, which became part of the mainstream narrative after a plane of guests landed there for a Gupta family wedding in …
While you were asleep: ANC calls for introspection as country puts out fires Read More »
Never mind the matrics big moment on Thursday evening, for as basic education minister Angie Motshekga made her 2021 matric results announcement, the presidency released a bombshell statement. The statement read that President Ramaphosa had “admonished” his tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu for her opinion piece published in early January where she criticised our judges and …
While you were asleep: Ramaphosa v Sisulu battle lines begin to form Read More »
Rising inflation globally to multi-year highs is becoming the biggest worry in the risk cocktail with the Covid-19 pandemic and rising interest rates. Record food and energy costs have fuelled local inflation to 5.9% in December, a level last seen on 2017; in the US inflation accelerated to its fastest pace since 1982; in Britain the rate of …
While you were asleep: Turning up the volume on the cost of living Read More »
Hospitalisations and deaths due to Covid-19 may be on the decline but a study by the University of Pretoria shows that new mutations of the virus could occur after some lions and pumas were infected by humans at a zoo in Pretoria. Bloomberg reports that “new variants could emerge from animal reservoirs of the disease” …
While you were asleep: From covid in lions to outstanding private school performance Read More »
The world’s ten richest men, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bernard Arnault and Bill Gates more than doubled their wealth from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion during the first two years of the pandemic amid a jump in the value of everything from stock prices to crypto and commodities. The latest Oxfam report, aptly titled Inequality …
By the end of December 2021, government had hoped to reach its target of having 70% of the population vaccinated against the coronavirus but that has not happened says health minister Joe Phaahla. The minister said mandatory vaccination discussions were ongoing within government and an announcement on a decision would be made shortly. Phaahla says …
While you were asleep: From mandatory vaccinations to bungled driving laws Read More »
Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says he’s sticking with coal power for now because a full-scale transition away from coal to renewables would cause job loss, drive up electricity costs and damage the economy. Manatashe delivered the keynote address at an energy summit gala dinner on Thursday evening, hosted by the South African Youth Economic Council. …
