Posted inBusiness

A local obsession

How do we tell the story of economic policy in South Africa? As an analyst my tools are statistics and substantiation, and even sometimes a case study. Steve Mandy, a fashion artist, tells the story through art. His exhibition, which I viewed only online, tells a more accessible story. It offers a profound and demanding […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Public-service strikes: It seems the cowboys are still in charge

We have been here before. The third major public-service strike since 1994 is upon us. During the first major public-service strike since democracy, in 1999, trade unions suffered a significant defeat with government’s unilateral implementation of wages. But in 2007, public-service unions turned the tables on government conducting an unprecedented strike, and building an unlikely […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Who will build Uhuru Highway?

The in-flight magazine on Kenyan Airways had the usual-usual. The spine of the magazine surprised: a Swahili proverb had been written on it. I cannot remember the exact wording, but it read something like: When two bulls fight, the people suffer. — Swahili proverb A subtle reminder that the political fighting in Kenya was having […]