Page 14 - Jonathan Katzenellenbogen News Today

Ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week, President Vladimir Putin seemed to have great military might at his command. 

26 January 2022 - When President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Soweto last year to campaign in the local government elections, there were serious protests. Some residents said they were protesting over the failure to connect homes to the power grid, the price of electricity, and other service delivery issues. One protester said the price of electricity was far too high and suggested that residents should pay a flat rate of about R200 a month.

The magnitude proposed by Eskom would hurt the ANC, but the power supply is unreliable and there are other serious service delivery issues.

5 January 2022 - The South African economy is trapped in a vicious cycle of low growth, high unemployment, high government budget deficits, bad governance, vast, poorly run sectors dominated by state enterprises, and declining private investment.

With the economy in a vicious cycle, the outlook is for continual deterioration. The evidence of SA’s predicament is compelling.

For South Africa in 2022, the overriding force in politics will be the continued decline of the ANC. The signs of demise are everywhere.

"By the end of the decade the South African economy might have dropped so far into a vortex of decline that we will become a lower-middle income country."

The ANC remains a sure bet for the majority in spite of overwhelming evidence of its failure to deliver services and stem corruption.

Minister Enoch Godongwana spoke out last week about the urgent need for big structural reforms to boost growth.

25 August 2021 - The inauguration yesterday of the new President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, is a watershed for the region.