Action, not distraction

Political and social turbulence has swirled fiercely ever since former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter appeared in that explosive television interview in February, and has intensified with the release of... 

Assuming you are reading this article on this edition’s publication day, the odds are you are nursing a hangover, unless you live in South Africa or in the other countries where Africa Day – May 25... 

France’s Parliament has unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution encouraging the European Union (EU) to designate Russian paramilitary company the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.  The... 

I’m two years younger than my brother; however, because of the arrangement that existed at the time, I went to school one year after him instead of two years. This, in turn, meant I was young,... 

Let us do what? How about “Let’s grow South Africa together”? If you need reminding, this was the title of the governing party’s 2019 election manifesto. I recalled it when I saw government’s... 

Give mining a new deal and it’ll strike a mighty blow against poverty

There is no doubt that mining, with its multiplicity of forward, backward and lateral linkages, is a poverty buster in waiting. Shadow Mineral Resources Minister James Lorimer MP was spot on when... 

That blackout feeling

There is justifiable concern that South Africa’s grid could collapsed this winter given ongoing high breakdowns across the Eskom coal fleet, the absence of one Koeberg unit and a rise in demand in... 

It must be five years ago now. Or slightly longer. But whatever. Back then, I wrote in this column about a latter-day Melchizedek of sorts, who, unlike the Old Testament character, is female. I... 

Johannesburg is a very large city. I’m not sure of the exact dimensions but I think it is at least 1 500 km2. Various cloudbursts which occur all over South Africa vary from Cape Town (continuous... 

Africa’s problem is not fossil fuels or the continent’s dependence on raw land and minerals but the lack of capacity to transition from these dependences into something else. This is a matter... 

Are the World Customs Organisation’s (WCO’s) Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) brothers in arms or combatants? They seem... 

Something simply must be done to make investing in mineral exploration attractive

In the past, the private sector owned and controlled South Africa’s mineral endowment and the public sector of the day looked on and collected the taxes. But from 1994, the public sector took over... 

Pregnant pause

It is good news that President Cyril Ramaphosa has finally Gazetted a notice declaring that Section 6 of the National Energy Act, which stipulates that an Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) be crafted in... 

I did not know of Thapelo Amad at all prior to his short-lived tenure as the mayor of Johannesburg. Just as I was beginning to form an opinion of him, he resigned, but that was not before I had... 

At the time of writing this article, there is loadshedding; the power is off intermittently for two to four hours at all locations in South Africa. This is a regular occurrence, and it represents a... 

It’s said there are seven foods that have led to war and that civilisation is a mere 24 hours and two meals away from barbarism. It probably depends on your definition of barbarism, as we might... 

Well done, South Africa, for collaborating globally on the green technology front

When it comes to green energy technology advances, South Africa is showing creditable wisdom. The partnership of our Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) with Johannesburg Stock... 

Light from the Tower of Babel

South Africa’s electricity discussion has become far less coherent in recent months, taking on all the characteristics of the Tower of Babel, despite the fact that most of the mixed messages have... 

Achraf Hakini, a star defensive midfielder for French football club Paris Saint-Germain, should have significant name recognition in a football-loving country such as South Africa, given his... 

During my national service, when I was stationed at Durban Naval Command, interesting events happened from time to time. Before I continue, I should point out to those who are new to this column... 

On April 20, the World Bank released its ‘2023 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report’, subtitled ‘Resilience and Reliability are Crucial in the Performance of Logistics’. The Bretton Woods... 

South Africa must ensure that capital can be raised at small end of the stock exchange

The bulk of South Africa’s long-term savings assets, something like 90%, are managed by less than a dozen institutions, which are obliged by the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa... 

Last out?

Swedish Ambassador to South Africa Håkan Juholt made a profound point at a recent workshop hosted to discuss decarbonisation options for South Africa’s steel value chain, which currently employs... 

Thabo Bester’s soapy-like prison escape in May last year and his equally dramatic capture in Tanzania this month are decidedly among the biggest talking points now – not only in South Africa but... 

The publication in April of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) global growth report makes for sobering reading.  Much of Africa has a massive hangover after the institution encouraged a...