Category: South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: Worsening Covid-19 wave, slow vaccine action

Teneo January 7, 2021

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has come under heavy criticism this week for its lack of a convincing Covid-19 vaccination strategy.
While the government hopes to begin vaccinating healthcare workers by February, vaccine supplies lined up to date only cover a fraction of the population.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Reluctant return to lockdown as Covid-19 infections surge

Teneo December 29, 2020

On 28 December, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a return from ‘Level 1’ to ‘Level 3’ lockdown restrictions, which will apply until 15 January. While the government has been extremely reluctant to return to tighter measures in the face of extreme economic and fiscal travails, the latest pandemic trends have left the Ramaphosa administration with little choice.… Read the rest

SOUTH AFRICA: Treasury wins first public-sector wage battle

Teneo December 16, 2020

On 15 December, the Labour Appeal Court rejected an application by public-sector unions to force the government to implement their 2020 wage increases, the third and final year of a 2018 wage deal.… Read the rest

SOUTH AFRICA: Covid-19 resurgence

Teneo December 14, 2020

On Monday evening, 14 December, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced additional Covid-19 measures to stem the tide of a ‘second wave’ in South Africa. These are urgently required after Health Minister Zweli Mkhize stated last week that South Africa had officially entered the second wave of the pandemic.… Read the rest

SOUTH AFRICA: Another ANC fudge or the beginning of Ace’s end?

Teneo December 8, 2020

While today brought slightly better-than-expected news on the economic front – with Q3 GDP growing at 13.5% q-o-q following the disastrous lockdown-related contraction of 16.6% in Q2 – on the political front an upside is not yet clear.… Read the rest

SOUTH AFRICA: NEC unlikely to resolve its Ace problem

Teneo November 25, 2020

An ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting this weekend will probably fail to resolve the thorny issue of whether Secretary-General Ace Magashule should step down over corruption charges.
Magashule’s fight against a suspension will provide a signal of the ANC’s internal balance of power and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s strength.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Covid-19 resurgence fears but no new lockdowns

Teneo November 11, 2020

Today, 11 November, President Cyril Ramaphosa updated the nation on the Covid-19 pandemic. Concerns over a ‘second wave’ have increased, with the Eastern Cape province the epicenter of a fresh surge in infections.… Read the rest

SOUTH AFRICA: What Ace’s arrest warrant means

Teneo November 10, 2020

Today, 10 November, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI, commonly referred to as the “Hawks”) confirmed that an arrest warrant has been issued for ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule. He is due to appear in court on Friday, 13 November, to face fraud and corruption charges relating to a ZAR 255mn asbestos audit contract dating back to his time as Free State premier.… Read the rest

SOUTH AFRICA: Is the MTBPS worth the paper it’s written on?

Teneo October 28, 2020

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) includes a less “active” stabilization of South Africa’s runaway debt than promised in June.
The government now makes even bigger promises on cutting the public-sector wage bill – a good signal but implementation prospects remain uncertain.

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SOUTH AFRICA: Another plan – heavy on spending, light on liberalization?

Teneo October 23, 2020

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan makes bold promises around four priority areas – infrastructure development, job creation, energy security and industrialization.
It seems heavier on spending than on economic liberalization, which will present challenges for next week’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).

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