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News & Views by Terry Bell
Browsing All posts tagged under »politics«
SA govt decisions sow union discord
December 9, 2011
The South African government’s latest moves directed, ostensibly, at combating corruption and maladministration have sown considerable confusion, distrust and suspicion in sections of the trade union movement.
ANC concern follows Zambian poll victory
December 2, 2011
The victory of the Patriotic Front in Zambia’s recent election has sent more than a frisson of concern through South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC). It has heightened an awareness among ANC politicians that they may not be in power forever.
Xmas bells ring in profit — and deeper debt
November 26, 2011
The measures taken to to get the tills of the towns of South Africa ringing for a profitable Xmas season, are similar to those that led, via the sub-prime mortgage debacle in the United States, to the current and ongoing global crisis. This is based on short-term thinking and the extension of unsustainable credit.
A call to resist the secrecy law
November 21, 2011
November 22, 2011, has been dubbed “Black Tuesday” in South Africa. This is the day the Protection of State Information Bill went before parliament on its way to being rubber stamped into a law that all principled journalists worth their salt will do everything to circumvent. And, courtesy of the nature of the internet, they will be able to do so.
Another pre-school fairy story?
November 17, 2011
National planning minister Trevor Manuel and his commission consider early childhood development (ECD) and pre-school education vital to the future development of South Africa. However, the 20-year National Development Plan (NDP) released this week by Manuel does not even define ECD or pre-school education, let alone how it should be implemented, where, when and by whom. So the fear across the education sector is that the NDP may be yet another case of “just talking the talk”.
A tangled web of race classification
October 30, 2011
South Africa’s 2011 census, bar the tallying, the number crunching and a few follow-ups, is over. And there were remarkably few difficulties encountered although, being South Africa, the question of race was once again raised — and it highlighted some peculiarly South African problems.
Labour thumbs down for SA medium-term budget
October 27, 2011
Overall, the South Africa's medium term budget policy statement has been given a fairly resounding thumbs down by the labour movement. And not just by trade union federations, officials, shop stewards and rank and file members; among the army of the recently retrenched are workers who gave a similar verdict as details of the statement became known.
Terry Bell Writes 
Holistic change that is needed — globally
January 10, 2012
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This was first posted in January 2012, and has been edited slightly to bring some references up to date. Attention is being drawn to it again because the arguments raised seem even more pertinent now, especially in South Africa, a country that possesses a Bill of Rights that provides a potential — truly democratic — […]