Has the South African state become an instrument in the hands of the class of predators that dominate our politics? Think a crowbar or a 9mm automatic and think of the Nkandla or Limpopo crews using that tool to rip or rob huge sections of provincial and national budgets. Cosatu is clearly suspicious of theContinue reading “The SACP and Cosatu are trying to rescue the ANC and the state – but there is an optimism differential between them”
Category Archives: Jacob Zuma
The ANC’s surprising return to form
Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis will have noticed two things. The first is that the number of posts have tailed off. This is largely because my time has been taken up with paid work and the website has slipped down the list of priorities in the imperative to pay the bills.Continue reading “The ANC’s surprising return to form”
Zuma was to Polokwane what Malema hopes to be to Mangaung
Doesn’t the Julius Malema saga feel so familiar? Remember how the Jacob Zuma campaign seemed to transform each new obstacle placed in his path into fuel for his political train that eventually steamed triumphant into Polokwane in December 2007? The fact that he was known far and wide as hopelessly incapable of moderating his sexualContinue reading “Zuma was to Polokwane what Malema hopes to be to Mangaung”
Beat the dog till the owner comes out
Tokyo comes out to defend Julius Malema in the disciplinary hearing? To be followed by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Tony Yengeni? It is an almost too perfect reversal of Julius Malema’s own metaphor after his victory at the Eastern Cape provincial conference of the ANC Youth League in August 2010: “We will never surrender to Blade.Continue reading “Beat the dog till the owner comes out”
Malema agenda in retreat
I am back from my travels where I spent much time discussing the ANC Youth League’s “nationalisation of mines” call with investors. The long and the short of my views are that I don’t think the ANC will decide to nationalise the mines at its December 2012 elective conference in Mangaung. I do, however, thinkContinue reading “Malema agenda in retreat”
Happy Birthday Mister President ….
I’m still in the USA, but for those who might have missed it (40 minutes ago), here is the ANC Youth League’s “happy birthday” message to their new favourite ANC leader. I will leave the statement in full below, not because I am a news wire service for the Youth League, but because clearly theyContinue reading “Happy Birthday Mister President ….”
Neither the best nor worst of all possible worlds
Arrived late last night in New York from London (and Edinburgh and Frankfurt) and the lag means I am only going to want to fall asleep at exactly the time it will be most unsuitable to do so. I have been travelling (for Indian owned Religare Capital Markets, where I have a new berth) withContinue reading “Neither the best nor worst of all possible worlds”
Oh no – not succession again so soon?
It is 17 months still until the ANC votes on its future leaders and over 3 years before those leaders are elected/re-elected to government. That seems like an extraordinarily long lead time to fight that particular battle. One would have hoped our leaders would have more pressing concerns …. but anyway. Cosatu is meeting fromContinue reading “Oh no – not succession again so soon?”
Some observations about the election lead-up
I am feeling the welcome pressure of a flood of paid work. The only drawback to this happy state of affairs is I have not been able to put as much effort into updating this website as I would like. In future I will generally be posting the quirkier side of politics and investment riskContinue reading “Some observations about the election lead-up”
Jacob Zuma versus the ANC Youth League
Yesterday President Jacob Zuma met white farmers in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands and reassured them about nationalisation of mines and about land seizures. He said: “What Malema said is neither the ANC’s nor the government’s policy … the farming community must not be shaken by his comments.” A few moments ago the ANC Youth LeagueContinue reading “Jacob Zuma versus the ANC Youth League”
Because I thought it might brighten your day
Our leaders dancing for our votes reminds me of a poem Michael Ondaatje wrote called The Elimination Dance. A version of this dance appears in cultures and countries around the world. The rules are that a caller shouts out particular categories of people or people who have undergone a particular experience. When you are called Continue reading “Because I thought it might brighten your day”
The State of the Zuma Nation
‘Not as bad as I feared; perhaps even better than I hoped’ – is my reply to the question implicit in the title. I have been flat-out covering the event for paying clients and I was at parliament in the gracious hands of the lovely people from Radio 2000 – where I commented for aboutContinue reading “The State of the Zuma Nation”
Cosatu, Zuma and the New Growth Path
Busy, busy … and everything is slower; the brain and hands struggle with what they did with alacrity before the December holiday. Anyway … It is becoming clear that South African Investment Risk is going to be all about the New Growth Path (NGP) this year. So picking up from where I left off fromContinue reading “Cosatu, Zuma and the New Growth Path”
New Growth Path Framework bloodline
This is the first of three articles that look at the political and policy bloodline of the New Growth Path and the main criticisms that have emerged about the policy in the public domain over the last few days. This first post is a summary – using quotes and paraphrasing – of Ruling Alliance statementsContinue reading “New Growth Path Framework bloodline”
Pictures of a possible future
I occasionally publish slides that I have used for clients as part of my attempt to examine political and investment risks to them. Below are 3 from a presentation I delivered soon after the ANC NGC. See if you can identify all the people concerned – a sort of politics general knowledge test ( youContinue reading “Pictures of a possible future”
Nic Borain 