I have been completely taken up with a project (now completed) that argued that the black African middle-class was our single biggest asset and the workings of the interests of that class in the world would save our politics and help our economics. Yaay! The basic argument looked at the defection suffered by the ANC inContinue reading “Numsa, Cosatu, the ANC, the SACP and all of that jazz”
Yearly Archives: 2014
Jacob Zuma – will he stay, will he go and does it matter?
I will get on to the weighty question of whether Jacob Zuma might retire before his term of office is completed momentarily, but first let me mention that I have been busy with what started as an idle rumination about the South African Communist Party. But has turned, inevitably perhaps, to “become persistent and recurrentContinue reading “Jacob Zuma – will he stay, will he go and does it matter?”
Lesotho, Guptas, Jacob’s Ladder, Julius huffs and he puffs but he doesn’t blow the House down, Cyril’s hard week down at the commission …. and so much more
Here are some bits and pieces I highlighted for investors over the last few weeks. Thanks as always to BNP Paribas Cadiz Securities for allowing me to republish these snippets here … it is also a touch more information that most people require, but I post it here for the record, if nothing else. IContinue reading “Lesotho, Guptas, Jacob’s Ladder, Julius huffs and he puffs but he doesn’t blow the House down, Cyril’s hard week down at the commission …. and so much more”
Julius Malema the (still) coming man
This is obviously a season of reflection for me. Here is (another) post from the past, this one from November 4 2009. For a long time Julius Malema is the Coming Man was the most viewed and most commented upon article here. (Later this post about Chris Hani became ‘most viewed’ if not most commented upon.) Remember, whenContinue reading “Julius Malema the (still) coming man”
Be careful what you wish for
Listening to the EFF be the rock against which Zuma’s blithe refusal to account finally dashed itself yesterday I felt briefly elated. Gangsters! Bashi-bazouks! Yes, PAY BACK THE MONEY! PAY BACK THE MONEY! Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles! But after a moment’s reflection I pulled myself, by the ear, back into the vehicle. “You irresponsibleContinue reading “Be careful what you wish for”
Hold fast comrades – the Thatcher-lites are upon us
I intend, in the near future, to dust off my Marxist theory.* I am going to need a framework through which to express my growing conviction that much of our politics can be understood as a function of the collapse of the alliance of classes that underlay the national democratic revolution – and the African National Congress. The bigContinue reading “Hold fast comrades – the Thatcher-lites are upon us”
Brics and stones can break our bones …
I often send out commentary before I am satisfied with it. That usually means typos and misspellings that I have failed to find in a rushed edit, but sometimes it means the analysis is … less in-depth (trite? … shallow? … Ed) than I would have liked. It’s the price of procrastination when chasing deadlines – andContinue reading “Brics and stones can break our bones …”
Numsa strike catch up
For the record – and on the off chance that someone may one-day want some background on the (at time of writing) unresolved metalworkers strike – here are the bits and pieces I have published over the last two weeks; ordered from most recent at the top. The piece from the eve of the strike was writtenContinue reading “Numsa strike catch up”
Is the ANC beyond redemption … yet
On my return on Sunday from 10 days relaxing in and around the unparalleled Lake Malawi a friend took me aside and said he had visited my blog and found only cobwebs, spiders and dust. Forgive me. So putting my shoulders back and girding my loins I logged on to deal with the decay and sayContinue reading “Is the ANC beyond redemption … yet”
Strike out, the presidential health, SONA2014#2 and EFF and the landed gentry gets a finger wagged in its direction
Some humble and not so humble opinions on various snippets of recent and not so recent political news. Platinum strike finally over Amcu and the platinum producers announced a settlement on Tuesday. The industry reports the strike cost producers R24-billion in lost revenue and the workers R10.6-billion in forsaken wages (see the pro-industry website here for other data.) SoContinue reading “Strike out, the presidential health, SONA2014#2 and EFF and the landed gentry gets a finger wagged in its direction”
If idle hands make the devil’s work then keep them busy
Someone asked yesterday what I thought of Julius Malema being appointed to the Judicial Services Commission. Did the ANC not care about the kinds of judges that would be appointed? Does this mean the ANC policy is drifting towards the EFF? These were my first, instinctive, thoughts: I reckon the ANC is wisely taking a stepContinue reading “If idle hands make the devil’s work then keep them busy”
Now is the winter of our discontent …
… which I entirely doubt will be made glorious summer by this sun of KZN when he gives his 5th nth State of the Nation Address this evening. I am not, as my children might have said, very amped for this. The only ray of light so far (I am watching on eNCA) was a brief interview with FloydContinue reading “Now is the winter of our discontent …”
Top ranked in the Political Trends and Industrial Relations category In the Financial Mail 2014 survey
The Financial Mail recently conducted its annual survey of the fund management industry’s ranking of the broker analysts in South Africa. As I have mentioned previously I find it faintly awkward crowing about it here. However, in the spirit of our age of frenzied self-promotion, I feel compelled to share with you the fact that I topped the rankingContinue reading “Top ranked in the Political Trends and Industrial Relations category In the Financial Mail 2014 survey”
The election results were good but the cabinet … not so much
Below are my comments about Sunday’s cabinet announcement followed by my comments about the elections from a week or so earlier – a sort of trip back in time. In both cases the originals were written under tight deadlines and in both cases my initial impressions have been moderated by time, drifting towards the insipid end ofContinue reading “The election results were good but the cabinet … not so much”
Some thoughts on the ANC, the DA and the EFF
A couple of asides as I tinker away at a framework for assessing Sunday’s Cabinet announcement. The media noise surrounding Helen Zille’s putative attitude towards Lindiwe Mazibuko is interesting, but largely because it is so loud. In the last hour I have been asked twice (by journalists) for an opinion on Mmusi Maimane‘s acceptance of nomination to theContinue reading “Some thoughts on the ANC, the DA and the EFF”
Nic Borain 