By Busi Mavuso

The two-week extension of the lockdown is like taking a punch to the gut, but we need to consider the ramifications. Economists are penciling a deeper GDP contraction this year of -9.7%.

By Busi Mavso

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns it has triggered locally and internationally, some estimates say as many as 1.1 million jobs are at risk in SA.

By Busi Mavuso

Tonight we head into a first in South Africa’s young history, with the entire population being placed under lockdown for our greater good.

The dual catastrophes of South Africa’s unemployment and economic growth situations can only be met by leadership with a will to make the right but perhaps politically less palatable choices.

President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a positive SONA 2020 with some real plans to deal with our economic problems. The challenge is implementation.

As difficult a path that business rescue is, and as wary as we are of the unintended consequences, the shareholder’s stance in the SAA matter has put to paid one thing: companies are not too big to fail. Eskom, of course is a special case. This should however not incentivise unions to prolong their rigid approach; rather, they should try and be part of the solution.

THE sixth administration is going to have to face up to some hard truths over the next few months if it is going to show some real commitment to drawing a line in the continued deterioration of its finances. There’s no harder truth than its bloated wage bill.