Tag: political interference

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is a flagship South African public health organisation, and this book, by its first executive director and virologist Dr Barry Schoub, paints a portrait of its development, despite many challenges, towards becoming an internationally renowned partner in the struggle for global health.

The recent statements by ANC parliamentary chief whip Pemmy Majodina regarding the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill's ‘amendability’ have highlighted a significant misunderstanding of the law making process. Majodina's assurance that the bill can be amended if necessary, simplifies a complex legislative and judicial process.

Life is an endless series of problems, all of them offering competing, imperfect solutions. But not all solutions are actually solutions; some are mistakes. I know of no system or individual that hasn’t made mistakes. The usual wisdom passed on in this matter is that one should learn from mistakes - that the intelligent learn from their errors and correct them.

The cabinet approved a new state-owned enterprise (SOE) plan, which will lays the basis for private equity investment in state companies and listings on the stock exchange. It has already stirred significant debate and discussion – and rightly so, because full or partial privatisation by countries around the world has been met with mixed success.

When André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa. Aside from neglected equipment, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale.

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.

The recent presentation at the Board of Healthcare Funder’s annual conference by Christoff Raath, joint-CEO of Insight Actuaries, should garner wide support from the private healthcare industry. Raath quite rightly lamented the incredibly slow pace and prevaricating by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) in developing lower cost medical scheme options that could introduce millions more members into the private health sector.

In detailing some of the crimes and misdemeanours that enabled state capture, the Zondo Commission’s report is in fact offering office-bearers across business and society a morality tale. In this spirit, the assessment of the performance of the erstwhile Chair of South African Airways, Dudu Myeni, acts as a case study of how important the role of the Board Chair is, and how not to do the job.

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.

The SAA and SA Express boards have failed consistently, but there is a solution, one that will end taxpayer bailouts, satisfy politicians’ desire to keep the flag flying and even retain our national pride. But it will take courage and political will.