21. The 10 most-read columns of 2020
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Date: 21 December 2020
Publication: Business Day
Image courtesy of: chayka 1270 via Pixabay
- Health aside, 2020 has been anything but kind to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule. In August, Gareth van Onselen described the man at the helm of the governing party as “the focal point for outrage from both the public and the fourth estate”.
Ace Magashule is the new Jacob Zuma
What is happening to the ANC’s secretary-general remains exceptional, for the simple reason that the ANC has been through all before, writes Gareth van Onselen
BusinessLIVE / Gareth van Onselen - Editor-at-large Carol Paton writes Magashule’s eventual arrest on 21 charges was a big moment for the ANC. It also means shifting alliances, regroupings and chaotic politics.
Cyril Ramaphosa a spectator as new factions take shape
The handful of recognisable faces that turned out to support Magashule were a sad and motley crew with doubtful moral and political standing.
BusinessLIVE / Carol Paton - When the first cases of Covid-19 were recorded in SA in March, the government took the difficult decision to enforce a nationwide lockdown. While initially supported for the most part, as Peter Bruce writes, many rules soon drew fierce criticism from all corners of SA.
Fatuous rules will kill legitimacy of the Covid-19 war
President Cyril Ramaphosa must be careful about what balls he chooses to juggle
BusinessLIVE / Peter Bruce - As the year draws to a close, Business Day editor Lukanyo Mnyanda writes he hopes that as the second coronavirus wave arrives, government actions do not take SA back to the dark days of April as the country simply cannot afford it.
Fingers crossed but it’s not looking good
As the year-end approaches, the question is where to from here?
BusinessLIVE / Lukanyo Mnyanda - While the Covid-19 pandemic exposed many faults in the state, Jonny Steinberg observes that some have come a long way.
Mbeki implicates himself when mocking those cleaning up after him
One of the predecessors who bequeathed a divided ruling party to the president was Thabo Mbeki, who now sees fit to make fun of him
BusinessLIVE / Jonny Steinberg - As if the pandemic and domestic political and commercial chaos is not enough, 2020 also saw the end of the Donald Trump administration. But before US voters made their decision, Adekeye Adebajo had a look at the two candidates.
Is Trump about to bow out of the greatest show on earth?
Threats to cut health care amid a pandemic are among the factors that have alienated voters
BusinessLIVE / Adekeye Adebajo - Chaotic politics are not unique to the US. And as Tom Eaton wrote long before SA saw nonsensical lockdown measures and soldiers in its neighbourhoods, “there is no new party on the horizon that will wrestle the matches away from the ANC”.
Brace yourself — no-one is coming to save SA
The ANC remains firmly entrenched and the country lives and dies by the whims of the cultists
BusinessLIVE / Tom Eaton - If you needed any reminder of what the local brand of ‘chaotic politics’ entails, SA’s communication minister has made a number of demonstrations since her appointment to cabinet in 2018.
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams needs to be shown the door
The communications minister has been described as ‘one-woman wrecking ball’
BusinessLIVE / Genevieve Quintal - Amid all the worrying indicators SA saw in 2020, unemployment and a recession among them, Michael Morris believes expropriation poses one of the biggest threats to farming.
Expropriation is the biggest threat to farming success so lauded by Ramaphosa
Industry’s success follows despite indebted government’s move to take assets that belong to others
BusinessLIVE / Michael Morris - Little highlights the need for decisive leadership more than a pandemic. But it appears for all the difficult decisions the president has taken, sometimes decisions and announcements do not always translate into action.
Ramaphosa not quite as good as his word
The president’s record is littered with broken promises of financial allocations made when he is under pressure
BusinessLIVE / Duma Gqubule
Ms Zoliswa Ntsoko (South Africa) is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant who assists with general administration and research. She is a seasoned professional with a background in Disaster Management. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Management from Milpark Business School, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management from Regenesys Business School. She also holds certificates in Project Management, and in Disaster Management. Previously, she has worked as a Disaster Management Specialist at the City of Johannesburg – Disaster Management Centre.
Ms Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe-Moyo is the Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously served as a Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2013. She completed her master’s degree in International Studies, Peace, and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Scholar. She has just completed her doctoral studies at Rhodes University. Her areas of interest include: gender, foreign policy, regional organisations and conflict resolution.
Ms Thembeka Somtseu is a seasoned professional with a background in the textile and construction sectors. She holds a National Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology, and studied Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She worked as a corporate communications specialist for more than ten years, serving in both local and multinational companies.