ARTICLE: DON’T FORGET “PLAN A”
2014-07-04
In an article that he wrote for Rapport last Sunday, Frans Cronje of the Institute for Race Relations quite rightly warned South Africans to plan for all eventualities.
In an article that he wrote for Rapport last Sunday, Frans Cronje of the Institute for Race Relations quite rightly warned South Africans to plan for all eventualities.
The central message of President Zuma’s second inaugural address is that, during the next five years, his new government will launch the “second phase of our transition from apartheid to a national democratic society.
Workers Day – earlier this week – provided us with an opportunity to assess the state of employment and labour relations in our country.
The picture does not look good.
According to StatsSA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the 4th quarter of 2013 unemployment was at 24.1%. If one includes discouraged work-seekers the unemployment (expanded definition) rate jumps to 34%.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) has just published its final policy proposals on land reform titled “Strengthening the Relative Rights of People Working the Land“.
Sunday, 6 April will be the 362nd anniversary of the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in the Cape – and of the founding of our mother city – Cape Town.
I welcome Cyril Ramaphosa’s response to my speech of 31 January, which dealt, among other topics, with the ANC’s approach to transformation – as embodied in its National Democratic Revolution (NDR).
SPEECH BY FORMER PRESIDENT FW DE KLERK TO THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION CONFERENCE ON THE NEED FOR REAL TRANSFORMATION, CAPE TOWN, 31 JANUARY 2014
In a recent article (abridged in the Cape Times, 20 January 2014) Professor Jane Duncan pointed to the fact that although socialist ideas are widely espoused by the masses there is little reference to socialism in most of our media. She says that objective viewers “would probably conclude that socialism was consigned to the dustbin of politically bankrupt ideas long ago.”
I have never, in my entire life, had even a puff of a cigarette. True, I did smoke a cigar 29 years ago when my son was born – but like Bill Clinton I did not inhale. Although I dislike smoking I am fairly tolerant of those who are addicted to tobacco (I have little choice since my wife enjoys the occasional cigarette). Nevertheless, I am happy that people may no longer smoke in planes, restaurants and other public places. I also believe that government should be commended for its vigorous anti-smoking campaign – which has cut smoking by 50% in the past 20 years.