Chasing my tail trying to get the bills paid. But two important things not to lose sight of: Firstly, Julius is back. The weekend National General Council of the ANC Youth League was a personal triumph for him and he emerges from Gallagher Estate with his star, once again, steadily on the rise. In theContinue reading “The resurrection of Julius Malema”
Category Archives: Julius Malema
Youth unemployment – our deepest sytemic threat
If you thought the interminable debates about the laws and institutions that structure our labour market and government subsidies for first time youth workers were just silly ideological wrangling then take a look at this graph from the OECD economic survey of South Africa. Let the extraordinary relative numbers speak for themselves. Youth unemployment seemsContinue reading “Youth unemployment – our deepest sytemic threat”
DA success, Xenophobia and Malema – the hidden connections
Much is happening on the political front that I would love to be discussing here, but paid work is, thankfully, taking up my time this week. Thus the following is broad brush and a little rushed – the point I wanted to make is that the issues are all connected – in dark and unsettlingContinue reading “DA success, Xenophobia and Malema – the hidden connections”
A church so broad belief is optional is not all bad
I have often pointed out that the ANC’s clever- clever populism allows it to be all things to all people. I have mostly meant that that is a bad thing. It is a legitimate question to ask: what are Julius Malema and Barbara Hogan (to name two arbitrary ANC leaders) doing at the same table?Continue reading “A church so broad belief is optional is not all bad”
The ANC is (still) the prize
Why setting back Julius Malema is important Julius Malema has received a body blow and is reeling about the ring. I mostly want to discuss why this is important – beyond the obvious reasons that drive the obsessive media focus on the grandiose little ANC Youth League President. But first a bit of context: AsContinue reading “The ANC is (still) the prize”
London Calling
Herewith a note I wrote a week ago for a South African client concerning a recent whip around the London fund management industry Foreign fund managers perceptions of South African political risk I recently had an opportunity to interact with a few London-based global emerging market fund managers. These were generally from long-only equity funds,Continue reading “London Calling”
The fearful symmetry of Terre’Blanche and Malema
I don’t really have time for this, but the moment seems to insist. So: I awoke this morning to a world framed as if by an immortal hand or eye. The bludgeoning to death of Eugène Terre’Blanche together with the Zimbabwe public display by Julius Malema feels like a tableau arranged by a naughty godContinue reading “The fearful symmetry of Terre’Blanche and Malema”
The Monsters Ball
Take a look-see at the names that are linked in Evelyn Groenink’s excellent story about IT billionaire Robert Gumede’s wedding to Dr Portia Mkhize in Nelspruit last weekend. Ignore if you can the author’s articulate disgust at the complacent and self-satisfied comrade billionaires and their squeezes grunting at the golden trough while Leandra burns. ThinkContinue reading “The Monsters Ball”
The productive classes versus the unproductive classes
As promised another occasional slide that illustrates a major theme of the moment. I have put the meat into the caption – note the reversion to some traditional Marxist theory … fractions of capital and the working class fighting to wield the state? Was that Althusser or Nicos Poulantzas … hmm, no, for them theContinue reading “The productive classes versus the unproductive classes”
The new songsheet of the Left
A quick run through documents and press statement emanating from the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party reveals the existence of a new ‘song sheet’ our crimson brethren have devised to help them sing in tune with each other. This is something more than a coordinated set of slogansContinue reading “The new songsheet of the Left”
Cosatu and the ANC: the fat’s in the fire
I have been sitting on this for a few days partly because Cosatu’s Central Executive Committee statement on Thursday last week and the ANC response are as harsh as we have seen – and that includes the tone of voice that accompanied Cosatu’s huge strike against ‘Mbeki’s privatisation’ in 2002. Cosatu has a long andContinue reading “Cosatu and the ANC: the fat’s in the fire”
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”
Nationalise or Starve … or both
Here is a radio interview that was not conducted with me this morning: Why would the ANCYL want the state to grab 60 percent of an ailing mining industry? Because Julius wants everyone to be able to afford a R250 000.00 Breitling like the one on his wrist … oops sorry, wrong piece of paperContinue reading “Nationalise or Starve … or both”
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 …”
Nic Borain 