The debate about white monopoly capital in post-apartheid South Africa is good for the country’s politics but it tends to come with bad sociology
"If we are honest, a key appointment is not merely, or at all, about what Zuma wants"
Some in the alliance say the minister’s adviser may deflect the debate away from state capture.
The health of an economy is measured by its profitability. This is true for any economy in which the private sector dominates. Declining profitability leads to a drop in investment and, hence, lower employment. When considering what drives growth and unemployment in the long run, we need to look at the evolution of profits and capital accumulation.
"What should the Reserve Bank do if the exchange rate, as determined by the markets, moves away from what it considers to be a competitive level? This question comes to mind when one looks at two Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) statements made two years apart."
South Africa’s socio-economic problems require systematic interventions by the government, but the policy of an independent Reserve Bank has come to dominate the macroeconomic landscape. Increasing tensions between its tough inflation targets and the growth targets of the National Treasury have worrying implications for the pace of development.