Will Zuma serve a second term? Will he serve out his first term? Who dares give an answer to these questions? Oh, alight I will. I have burned myself before by being a little too sure and a lot too wrong about what the future holds. Analysts like myself are constantly encouraged to take aContinue reading “Who can say what the future holds for Zuma?”
Category Archives: Alliance Politics
Stalin, Trotsky, Hitler, Malema, Cronin and FW
Aside from the most satisfying stitching up of the ANC Youth League president there were two other excellent bits floating up through the dross of the weekend news; both from the excellent http://www.timeslive.co.za. Firstly, Ray Hartley (editor of The Times and the Times Live website and author of the exceptional blog The Wild Frontier) interviewedContinue reading “Stalin, Trotsky, Hitler, Malema, Cronin and FW”
Zuma – time for his democratic technocrats to shine
This is not a budget review. There are just too many of them out there and I am in the middle of a roadshow to the South African fund management industry where the budget is being VERY well received. This is more a comment on the whole budget season that yesterday’s excellent National Budget began.Continue reading “Zuma – time for his democratic technocrats to shine”
Goodbye Mister Zuma, it’s been …. unsettling
I am trying to work out if Jacob Zuma is condemned to be a one term president; shuffled off the stage by a shamefaced ANC leadership as soon as humanly possible. I think he will be, unless he is saved by a titanic power-struggle that is not settled in time for the 2012 ANC nationalContinue reading “Goodbye Mister Zuma, it’s been …. unsettling”
Sexwale: Oh I just can’t wait to be king!
The spat over Tokoyo Sexwale’s report criticising Gwede Mantashe for not stopping the booing and humiliation of Julius Malema at the SACP conference in December is more important than it seems. The direction a country takes (economically, socially and culturally) emerges from the interplay of too many factors to make the future even vaguely predictable.Continue reading “Sexwale: Oh I just can’t wait to be king!”
While we were away …
Having just returned from an idyllic holiday, I am forced to take stock of what I missed … The Communists versus the TenderCapitalists A “TenderCapitalist” is not an over-sensitive entrepreneur. It is a South African person, much loathed by the communists, who uses his or her race and/or political connection to win tenders from theContinue reading “While we were away …”
The SACP Conference – as I head off
Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn I will begin travelling with my children for a respite after two years of my (it seems somehow personal) Great Recession. We will be moving through some places that are less connected than others, so I will be posting irregularly for some time. For this reason I wantedContinue reading “The SACP Conference – as I head off”
Welcome back to the progressive trade union movement
This war won’t be won from our air-conditioned offices but in the branches and structures of the ANC, just as it happened in the build-up to Polokwane. – Zwelenzima Vavi at a press conference yesterday (30/11/2009) It’s over; Cosatu is back where it belongs. The trade union ally fought its way into the ruling tentContinue reading “Welcome back to the progressive trade union movement”
Young Communists froth at the mouth – hilariously and for a good cause
This statement from the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) in the province of Gauteng calls on “parents to intensify efforts in teaching their children the dangers of learning from Julius” Malema. Its worth a read – if for nothing else but to see how crazy things are getting between the left-wing of theContinue reading “Young Communists froth at the mouth – hilariously and for a good cause”
Nationalisation: Cronin answers Malema – again … but what about the goose?
It’s getting a little like a tennis match. Eventually you can do well to watch the audience, heads swinging from-side-to-side to the sharp “pok” of the shots, to get a sense of how things are going. As I was reading the article by Cronin, again from Umsebenzi Online, that came out today I groaned. ItContinue reading “Nationalisation: Cronin answers Malema – again … but what about the goose?”
Cronin, Malema and that familiar fetid stench
It is, inescapably, time for a little weekend editorialising. Yesterday I summarised the main content of Jeremy Cronin’s criticism of the ANC Youth League’s “nationalise the mines!” call. In as far as it is possible I summarised Julius Malema’s response to Cronin – his comments consisted primarily of racial abuse and pompous meandering. This morningContinue reading “Cronin, Malema and that familiar fetid stench”
Nationalisation – medium sized bulls butt heads
Jeremy Cronin argues in the SACP’s Umsebenzi Online that Julius Malema’s “off-the-wall sound-bites” give the impression that he is making up policy about nationalising mines “on the hoof” and “individualistically”. Jeremy then goes on to examine – and ultimately dismiss – Malema’s call for nationalisation of the mines. I examine his reasons below … butContinue reading “Nationalisation – medium sized bulls butt heads”
The Alliance Summit is the business
The Alliance Summit on the weekend has significantly reduced confusion about policy and risk – although monetary policy is still under review. Background “The Alliance” met at Esselen Park, Ekurhuleni this weekend. This meeting consisted of the the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP), the Congress of South African Trade UnionsContinue reading “The Alliance Summit is the business”
Cosatu does the right thing
Something very interesting on the sideline of the resignation of Bobby Godsell as chairman of the Eskom board and the non-resignation of Jacob Maroga as CEO. If a situation is impossibly confusing, or your view is obscured for some reason, then look around and check where others are looking – look at the stances theyContinue reading “Cosatu does the right thing”
Unemployment – there are policy choices to be made
The labour market and the apparent elevation of the narrow sectional interests of Cosatu are hurting the unemployed. Last week Statssa released the Labour Force Survey for the third quarter. Unemployment had risen to 24.5 percent (from 23.6 in the second quarter) and, even more disturbing, the total number of employed fell 484,000 to 12.885Continue reading “Unemployment – there are policy choices to be made”
Nic Borain 