The outcry was swift when Capitec CEO Gerrie Fourie dared to challenge South Africa’s sacred unemployment statistic. “The unemployment rate is probably actually 10%,” he contended, arguing that Stats SA’s headline figure of 32.9% ignores the vibrant informal economy where “everyone is doing something.” Critics were quick to dismiss him as ignorant, unscientific, even a “denialist,” with former Statistician-General Pali Lehohla lambasting Fourie’s claims as “madness” and “lying,” vigorously defending Stats SA’s methodology. Radio presenter Ashraf Garda, however, noted the…

On June 12th, we celebrate Russia Day. 35 years ago, on June 12th in 1990, the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia was adopted. That was the start of a fundamental democratic process and decisive economic reforms in our country. Russia overcame the difficulties of the transitional period and entered the new era strong and independent. Our country’s history started as far back as over a thousand years ago in Veliky Novgorod, Staraya Ladoga, and Rurik’s Fort. These were the…

Launched by the African Union (AU), the Agenda 2063 is a 50-year blueprint for Africa’s inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development. In terms of timeline, the plan is divided into five 10-Year Implementation Plans. The first plan ran from 2014 to 2023, and the current phase spans from 2024 to 2033. Thematically, it aims to achieve Seven Aspirations, each with specific goals designed to drive the continent towards its grand vision for 2063.  At the heart of this vision is the…

There is a war raging—not of guns, but of manipulated images, falsified polls, weaponised perception, and manufactured narratives. This war is not fought on the battlegrounds of constitutionally sanctioned contestation, but through a deceptive campaign of disinformation led by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and its cohorts in business and media. It is a war camouflaged as democratic engagement, yet it undermines the very ethos of our post-apartheid constitutional order. What we are witnessing is a nefarious recycling of colonial and…

As Africa marks a decade since the adoption of Agenda 2063, its bold and ambitious seven aspirations have positioned the continent as a strong, united, resilient, and influential global player and partner.  Reaffirming its Pan-Africanism and African renaissance plan, aspiration seven of Agenda 2063 underscores the importance of Africa’s unity and solidarity in the face of major challenges emanating from the changing nature of globalisation, climate change, and economic and political environment. Due to these challenges, many countries lag in…

On 21 May 2025, South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, announced a 4-cent fuel levy increase as part of the revised 2025/26 Budget, breaking a three-year freeze on such levies. Set to take effect on 4 June 2025, this translates to a 16-cent-per-litre hike on petrol, pushing prices to between R3.85 and R4.01 per litre, and a 15-cent-per-litre hike on diesel, bringing prices to between R3.70 and R3.85 per litre.  The government claims this will generate R4 billion in…

Borders that are crisscrossed more frequently by trade in goods and services are less likely to be besieged by soldiers and other armed elements, buttressing the fact that trade dividends are not just related to development, growth, and prosperity, but also include peace and mutual understanding through dialogue among civilisations. With the proliferation of regional free trade areas across the world, it is without doubt that trade makes concrete contributions to the economic growth of many countries, and trade promotion…

For too long, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has clung to a manufactured myth — that it alone is the benchmark of “clean governance” and fiscal prudence. This arrogant refrain, repeated in every blue pamphlet and press conference, collapses under the weight of actual evidence — especially when held against the City of Johannesburg’s documented audit and financial history. During the DA-led coalition’s reign in Johannesburg from 2016 onward, the city staggered through instability, misgovernance, and audit embarrassment. Not a single…

We have entered the cooler months of May to July, a period with generally reduced water consumption due to lower temperatures. Rand Water has strategically scheduled critical maintenance on its key infrastructure during this time to minimise disruptions and better manage the potential impacts on water supply. The primary aim of the planned essential maintenance is to increase system capacity, and enhance plant availability, reliability and operational efficiency.  In essence, it is intended to strengthen the resilience and adaptability of…

Afrika Day is yet to know its dawn. The poor, seldom listened to or seen to matter, are on the verge of giving up on their hopeless dreams due for burial to waiting yawning graves to swallow to final rest that found no peace in their lifetimes. When Viola Davis said ‘when you are poor no one sees you, you are invisible’, it seemed a fleeting moment of an award acceptance speech of a film star.  Not only are the struggling masses…