Tag: African Liberty
The ANC’s expropriation bill is an election stunt
From 1995 to 2015, informal settlements increased by 650% and the current housing backlog has risen to 2.6 million houses. President Cyril Ramaphosa claims that the Expropriation Bill allows the government to 'expropriate land for public use, for use of our people'.
Pick n Pay ‘shutdown’ looms, the new expropriation
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema has threatened Pick n Pay with 'militant action' if a third meeting request is ignored by the company. He has alleged that franchisees are exploited and treated unfairly by the retail company.
South Africa’s labour market needs urgent reform
Statistics South Africa has announced that South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to a record high 35.3% in the last quarter of year 2021. This was an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the previous quarterly unemployment rate. The expanded definition of unemployment rate is at 46.2%.
South Africa’s damaging vaping regulation
South African legislators are seeking to regulate e-cigarette and vaping products through the draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, as well as new taxation laws. The National Department of Health has started to amend current tobacco legislation through the draft Bill, while taxation will be levied on nicotine and non-nicotine solutions with a 40% incidence guideline.
More state intervention will result in a stagnant economy
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) General Secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali’s thought-provoking, in-depth piece advocating the ostensible strengths of the government's localisation plans refers ('Ideologues do the jobless a disservice by turning localisation into a swearword', January 9).
Gas Amendment Bill threatens prosperity
South Africa loses R700 million a day for every stage of Eskom’s rolling blackouts. Given these catastrophic economic challenges created by the collapse of electricity infrastructure, an urgent alternative energy supply is needed to stabilise the grid.
SA ranks 84th among 165 jurisdictions in economic freedom
South Africa ranks 84th out of 165 countries and territories included in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2021 Annual Report, that we have released in conjunction with Canada’s Fraser Institute. In 2000, South Africa ranked 58th on the list of countries analysed.
Forced localisation will only add to unemployment crisis
While we acknowledge the positive structural reforms currently underway by government – most notably the lifting of the self-generation threshold to 100MW – command control plans of enforced localisation stand to undo any potential positive upsides of other reforms.
State-Run Fund an ill-considered idea, will add to economic woes
The Department of Social Development’s Green Paper on Comprehensive Social Security and Retirement Reform will, if adopted, result in the most harm for those it is ostensibly intended to benefit. We call on government to urgently reconsider any proposals that increase the state’s power over citizens’ financial affairs and urges all South Africans to resist the proposals contained in the paper.
Build back better – now is the time for positive radical...
According to Peter Attard Montalto (head of Capital Markets Research at Intellidex) the violence and looting that took place in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021 cost the national retail sector R5 billion, 800 non-shopping centre stores were looted, 100 stores were burnt out, and 200 shopping centres were looted, and many destroyed. How can the country recover from such devastation - and when still enduring more than a year of lockdown and a pandemic? The answer must lie in economic and individual freedom.