News — Centre for Risk Analysis

[Letter] The perils of relying on the government

We should not be tempted by the state for it to step in to aid the renewables equipment sector.

[Video] 15th BRICS summit | 22 countries apply for membership

At least 22 countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, have formally asked to join the BRICS bloc. A further group of 22 have expressed interest in gaining membership. The core group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will discuss this next week in Johannesburg.

Dilapidated state

In this week's newsletter from the Centre For Risk Analysis, we look at infrastructure decay in South Africa as well as the emerging logistics crisis.

[Opinion] Risky business

The greater the extent to which business and government become mixed, the greater the incentive for – and likelihood of – regulations and policies being set up in such a way as to benefit those with the necessary resources and level of political influence.

[Letter] One-stop energy shop will cause more problems

It appears that our government officials have locked themselves up in an ivory tower full of new policy proposals, big ideas and slow reforms, far removed from the SA citizen on the ground.

[Video] Blackouts hammer steel sector

As Eskom struggles to keep the lights on, companies continue to lose revenue.

[Opinion] The exponential rise of cellular phones in South African households

South Africa has witnessed a transformative shift in communication preferences over the past few years, with cellular phones becoming the preferred choice for the majority of households.

[Video] 2024: SA's watershed election? | Africa Liberty Forum, Cape Town (Atlas Network)

The current state-centric model has failed, but what will replace it? In 2024, South Africans will vote in what will be the most highly contested elections in the post-apartheid era. Opposition parties could find themselves in governmental power, but will an opposition coalition turn the country’s fortunes around? What alternative policies should they be exploring now?

[Video] No arrests yet in recent burning of haulage trucks

Centre For Risk Analysis' Makone Maja dissects the torching of haulage trucks as the police try to crack the cases of 16 trucks set alight in the past three days in KZN, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

[Opinion] Nurse shortage crisis in South Africa

South Africa has been faced with a critical shortage of nurses, which has been worsening over the years, resulting in a number of challenges in providing quality healthcare.

[Video] Emigrasie en die impak daarvan op die land - In Gesprek

Panel discussion with the head of international relations for the Solidarity Movement, Jaco Kleynhans, and a senior policy analyst at the centre for risk analysis, Chris Hattingh about emigration and the effect thereof on the country and its economy.

Water use quotas a THREAT to agriculture

In this week's newsletter from the Centre For Risk Analysis, we look at the government's proposed water licensing rules and their impact on the commercial agricultural sector.

[Letter] Zondo’s state capture assessment is correct

Zondo has seen no changes to protect the country from rampant corruption.

Maternal healthcare improves, but more can be done

Over the past ten years, South Africa’s institutional maternal mortality ratio (IMMR) has declined.

[Opinion] President Ramaphosa’s Phala-Phala controversy: A deceitful manoeuvring of South Africa’s judicial processes

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Parliament pulled a fast one on us; twice, if you consider the investigation into alleged corruption at Eskom.

[Video] War in Ukraine | US lawmakers want SA punished for non-aligned stance

South Africa may be punished for its non-aligned stance on the war in Ukraine. A bipartisan group of 4 US lawmakers see the stance as support for Russia. They have since asked Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to move the AGOA summit from the country. AGOA allows for duty-free exports from Sub-Saharan Africa to the economic giant. We get more on this from Chris Hattingh from the Centre for Risk Analysis.

[Letter] SA should be very worried about US Congress’s Agoa letter

Taking the Agoa Forum from SA can be seen as a first rung on a ladder of options that will escalate in terms of severity for the economy.

[Opinion] Flush Out Injustice: South Africa’s Urgent Call for Sanitation Equality

In a nation that is working to advance and develop, it is depressing to realise that a significant portion of South African homes still do not have access to adequate sanitary facilities.

[Letter] Crises are a result of state policies

Business should not be afraid to walk away from partnership.

[Opinion] South Africa’s Ports: A significant barrier to trade

The numbers are in and they do not look pretty. South Africa’s ports plumb the depths of the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence’s 2022 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), reveals Chris Hattingh.

[Opinion] Global headwinds mean SA must get basics right

The very basics of trade infrastructure need to function correctly if South Africa and indeed the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are to succeed.

[Letter] SA should at least practise its nonalignment preaching

A Reserve Bank report points to the possibility of SA’s ‘neutral’ stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine being ‘perceived as unconvincing

[Video] Threat of national electricity grid collapse

eNCA discusses the risk of a nationwide blackout with Chris Hattingh from the Centre for Risk Analysis.

[Opinion] The sorry state of SA’s mining policy can’t be turned around overnight

A commitment to fixing at least some of the basics would put SA on the path towards improving appetite and desire to invest in the sector.

[Opinion] Shifting blame

When Eskom warned in 2007 about the end of the electricity surplus, the state delayed building necessary infrastructure and the state banked on the private sector. Mantashe blames the private sector for not ‘taking interest'.

[LETTER] Believing the incentives that led to state capture won’t be abused again is naïve

The ANC remains committed to ideas and policies that will further extend the mixing of state with party.

[Video] US-SA relations | Russian arms claims could hurt SA trade ties

The Presidency says US allegations that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia is concerning. Ambassador Reuben Brigety says there is proof a Russian ship docked in Simon's Town left with ammunition. For more, we are joined by Chris Hattingh, from the Centre for Risk Analysis.

[Opinion] Private sector a solution to SA’s infrastructure issues

A lack of road expansion will result in congestion and limited mobility, translating into serious costs for the economy.

[Opinion] NHI not a credible fix for ailing public healthcare

Having said that, it is paramount to understand that while there is an urgent need for reform in South Africa's public health system, the NHI's primary goal is not to enhance healthcare, but rather to extend state control over all aspects of healthcare to a minute level.

[Opinion] ROB ROSE: Smart money braces for stage 8

Since the beginning of 2023, there has been only a single 24-hour period free of rolling blackouts in South Africa,” wrote CRA director Chris Hattingh. “Eskom’s latest energy outlook [up to March 20] suggests this is likely to continue, with the state electricity company being unable to meet the demand for electricity during any week through to at least March 2024.