Cape Times 2023-02-13

Finance Minister Godongwana will be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic when tabling the Budget FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana will be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic next week when he tables the Budget amid demands to reappropriate money to fund a raft of social security spending on the back of a shrinking economy. This comes after a number of promises made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address on Thursday in a bid to alleviate the hardship brought about by the ongoing energy crisis on businesses and households. Ramaphosa said Godongwana would outline how households will be assisted and how businesses will be able to bene- fit from a tax incentive through the roll-out of rooftop solar panels. However, economists on Friday began…

SOUTH African markets closed deep in the red on Friday, with the rand and stocks tanking to their lowest in more than two months on the back of softer emerging markets and a firmer US dollar. President Cyril Ramaphosa's failure to impress investors about concrete solutions to end the energy crisis during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday also added bitterness to the markets. The rand on Friday plunged 0.8% to close R17.90 against the greenback, its lowest since December 2, when Ramaphosa was rumoured to be considering resigning on the back of a damning report about his possible culpability in the Phala-Phala scandal. Citadel Global director Bianca Botes said the rand was mostly affected by international monetary decisions and events and less so by local factors,…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa last week reiterated the government’s plan to introduce a remote working visa, which it promised a year ago in a bid to solve South Africa’s skills crisis. In his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday, Ramaphosa said one of the key ingredients for economic growth and competitiveness was the ability to attract skills that the economy needed. “Having completed a comprehensive review of the work visa system, we will move quickly to implement the recommendations put forward. “These include establishing a more flexible points-based system to attract skilled immigrants, implementing a trusted employer scheme to make the visa process easier for large investors, and streamlining application requirements,“ he said. The government would also be introducing a remote worker visa and a special dispensation for high-growth…

THE ANC-CREATED Eskom disaster impedes digital transformation. The past week I had to accompany an elderly friend to the Department of Home Affairs in Caledon to collect an identity card. But what a catastrophic experience. I was wondering why so many people were waiting outside Home Affairs in the blazing sun, until I realised it was Caledon’s “privilege” to pay for the incompetency of government through load shedding from 10am to 12pm. Although the doors of Home Affairs were open, it was dark inside and since the computers were down, nobody could be served. It was only an hour after the power came on that some people were allowed in. The officials were lethargic and progress was slow. It was only at 3pm that the collection of an identity card…

from page 1 where they happen fairly regularly, especially linked to taxi operations. Some people live in fear of them and even fear to travel from their areas as that is when they are most vulnerable to being tracked and killed.” De Haas added that the common thread was people could easily find a hit man. She added that the motives for murder varied. “It could be personal, or taxi-related, or related to other business. Some of the mass killings are probably linked to drugs or other gangster activities.” Chad Thomas, organised crime investigator for IRS Forensic Investigations, said that there had been a marked increase in murder for hire throughout South Africa. “At one stage, assassinations seemed to be most prevalent among taxi bosses fighting over routes, and gang…

THE National Assembly is one step closer to finalising the bill that will allow independent candidates to contest elections to be elected as public representatives in Parliament and provincial legislatures. This comes after the home affairs portfolio committee on Friday adopted the report and further amendments made to the Electoral Amendment Bill. The bill was sent back to the National Assembly late last year after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) came up with material amendments that required public consultation when it was brought to it for concurrence. The National Assembly passed the bill in October 2022, but could not pass it by the December 10 deadline after the NCOP made various amendments that sought to address concerns raised by various parties and stakeholders during the public participation process. The…