This week, the IMF approved a funding request for South Africa under its Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) programme.A number of concessions have applied, ranging from the annual quota allowed to the terms of engagement.In the RFI programme, the IMF indicates no contentious conditions are attached to it, even though a road map towards repayment is…
There was an expectation that essential services would resist the temptation to engage in questionable behaviour during the lockdown.It is therefore difficult to reconcile the conduct of Dis-chem - a supplier of healthcare products - during the current crisis.The company has nonetheless decided to appeal a R1.2 million penalty imposed upon it for price gouging.A…
The dilemma of running a balanced public budget is inevitable where there is a divergence of economics and politics.Economics calls for sacrifices and trade-offs, while politics is committed to a quest for re-election.A lack of consensus among the political elite leads to a loss of legitimacy. Inadequate allocations in key areas may result in a vicious…
Taxi commuters are facing a pay hike.An increase in transport costs isn't linked to an increase in wages, so a hike in transport costs deepens the wedge between wages and take-home pay. Where spatial planning and lack of infrastructure development leave limited viable transport options, consumers are the ones who lose out. The journey from…
4 min read WHEN YOU'RE TELLING a horror story that's based around a family function or family dynamic, it's important to make sure you're getting the parents just right. Ari Aster's Hereditary, which came out in 2018, hit the nail right on the head, casting Toni Collette as the film's lead—and the increasingly unhinged (and
Dietitians regularly talk up the importance of having variety in your diet to make sure you hit your nutritional needs. But new research suggests that’s actually not helpful—at least, not when you’re trying to lose weight. The study, which was published in the journal Health Psychology, makes a strong case for sticking with the same
Can't see the audio player? Listen on: The Host The Trump administration this week missed a deadline to nominate a new director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without a nominee, current acting Director Jay Bhattacharya — who is also the director of the National Institutes of Health — has to give up