SAIRR Today: The great empowerment hoax (and how it saved South Africa’s economy) -11th March 2010
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Institute Opinion
Up one levelSAIRR Opinion: Institute backs 'courageous' Zille - Letter to the Cape Times, 18th May 2009
The Institute submitted the letter below to the Cape Times in support of what it described as Helen Zille's 'courageous stance on quotas in her Western Cape cabinet'.
SAIRR Opinion: Seepe's views his own - 8th May 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote a letter which appeared in Business Day stating that, "Views expressed by Prof Sipho Seepe in a series of columns in Business Day (most recently on May 6, Black man stating his opinion risks losing approval of whites) may have been assumed to be those of the South African Institute of Race Relations. Although Seepe is its president, many of his views are not those of the institute, which remains as strongly committed to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law as it always has been."
SAIRR Opinion: Bury the plans for a state mining company - 30th April
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day this morning that, "All these risks aside, the idea of a state mining company might turn out to be brilliant — so brilliant that we should all rush out and buy shares in rival firms digging out whatever minerals the state decides to mine. This is because the new company is likely to be so badly run that the minerals in question will remain in the ground, contributing to global shortages, so pushing global prices up. The bull market would be back."
SAIRR Opinion: SA begins to feel the costs of capitulation - 16th April 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day today that, "The costs to the country, if not yet all apparent, will be great. By dropping the charges against Zuma on so flimsy a pretext, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) looks both cowardly and ridiculous. Who of independent mind will now wish to join this body?"
SAIRR Opinion: On the trail with no real clue about crime - 2nd April 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day today that, "To his credit, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma acknowledges public anxiety, which his predecessor did not always do. "Everywhere I went the issue of crime was raised.... When the people talk to me I can see the fear in their eyes and hear the desperation in their voices."
SAIRR Opinion: NPA’s case against Zuma was tainted from the very beginning - Business Day 26th March 2009
Sipho Seepe wrote in Business Day this morning that, "Rumours that the NPA might consider dropping the charges against African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma invited predictable responses. Opposition parties came out guns blazing. Such a course would destroy their main artillery against the ANC. Editorials joined the hysteria, proclaiming the end of civilisation as we know it."
SAIRR Opinion: Risks of the ‘national democratic revolution’ - Busness Day 19th March 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day today that, "Virtually absent from the election manifesto of the African National Congress (ANC) is explicit reference to the national democratic revolution (NDR), long the organisation’s overriding strategic objective. The NDR is no secret, for it infuses policy documents published for ANC conferences."
SAIRR Opinion: ANC should take on a critic’s arguments, not his associations - Business Day 11th March 2009
Sipho Seepe wrote in Business Day this morning that, "Convinced of its political invincibility, it [the ANC] could afford to dismiss those who held different views. Traducing critics as counter-revolutionaries worked until critics came from within. Trumped up charges were conceived against them. This saw the unravelling of the Thabo Mbeki regime."
SAIRR Opinion: Dependency on the rise, whatever they claim - Business Day 5th March 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day today that, "Kgalema Motlanthe, Thabo Mbeki, Trevor Manuel, and Jacob Zuma have all warned against SA’s becoming a welfare state. But the welfare state rolls on regardless. In five years’ time, Manuel’s legacy may appear different from how it does now, especially given the global slump: social spending on a scale that upsets the fiscal apple cart."
SAIRR Opinion: COPE presidential candidate no challenger to autocratic rule - Business Day 25th February 2009
Sipho Seepe wrote in Business Day this morning that, "Lekota dug his grave as soon as he sought to distance himself from former president Thabo Mbeki — the mastermind behind COPE. But Lekota should have known better. He is part of a bunch for whom democracy is acceptable as long as it delivers a preferred candidate. When this fails, there are always plans B and C."
SAIRR Opinion - Can COPE outrun its past? - The Times 18th February 2009
Writing on The Times election website www.saelections.co.za the Institute said that, "To a great extent the question of who will become South Africa’s official opposition will be determined by whether COPE can outrun its past."
SAIRR Opinion: Frans Cronje discusses corruption in South Africa on Classic Business on Classic FM - 16th February 2009
Frans Cronje discussed corruption in South Africa with John Fraser, host of Classic Business on Classic FM. Click on the link for the transcript of the discussion.
SAIRR Opinion: COPE is a Mirage in the Desert of Dissatisfaction - 11th February 2009
Sipho Seepe wrote in Business Day this morning that, "COPE's brain power is tissue-paper thin when compared with the ANC's critical mass comprising Pallo Jordan, Naledi Pandor, Trevor Manuel, Jeremy Cronin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Joel Netshitenzhe, Prof Ben Turok, Tito Mboweni, Zweli Mkhize, Barbara Hogan, Mathews Phosa, Zola Skweyiya and Baleka Mbete, to mention just a few."
SAIRR Opinion: Voice of the people — or is it the party? - 5th February 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day this morning that, "Today’s speakers are obedient party politicians, while the African National Congress (ANC) regards Parliament as a rubber stamp for decisions made at party headquarters in Luthuli House. It is amazing that anyone votes at all in South African elections — Parliament is little more than a technical institution to process legislation."
SAIRR Opinion: Finishing the jobs Mbeki started - Business Day 21st January 2009
The president of the Institute, Sipho Seepe, wrote in Business Day this morning that Kgalema Motlanthe has disappointed as leader of South Africa. According to Seepe,"Being a caretaker president is never going to be easy, especially if you have to lead a fragmented party while simultaneously dealing with a mess created by your predecessor. But President Kgalema Motlanthe had several advantages. Prominent among these is that he is not Thabo Mbeki."
SAIRR Opinion: Time to stop fuelling this party of corruption - Business Day 19th February 2009
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day today that, "The ANC no doubt counts among its supporters many people who would never dream of bribing anyone, forging anything, or stealing a cent. The issue now facing them is whether they follow Nelson Mandela’s pathetic example and keep supporting a party which is systemically corrupt and whose corruption eats away at the state".
SAIRR Opinion: New party must take steps on new roads - 13 November 2008
John Kane-Berman identifies the three main challenges facing the party formed by politicians who have recently broken away from the ANC. This column appeared in Business Day on 13th November 2008.
SAIRR Opinion: Lewis complaints threaten democratic principles - 31 October 2008
Dr Anthea Jeffery writes that Judge Carole Lewis was not the first judge to raise concerns about the state of the judiciary.
SAIRR Opinion: Too much faith in regulation can be bad - 30th October 2008
John Kane-Berman says the current banking crisis is no reason to go on a crusade to extend public ownership and regulation. This column appeared in Business Day on 30th October 2008.
SAIRR Opinion: No point if rebels just clone the ANC - 16th October 2008
The new party contemplated by former ANC members will be little different from the ANC if it too remains committed to a ‘national democratic revolution’, writes John Kane-Berman. This column appeared in Business Day on 16th October 2008.
SAIRR Opinion: Shock therapy for new leadership - 2nd October 2008
The post-Mbeki government will have to be wary lest it undermine the South African economy by antagonising international markets, writes John Kane-Berman. This column appeared in Business Day on 2nd October 2008.
SAIRR Opinion: Time for Zuma to repair the damage - 18th September 2008
John Kane-Berman wrote in Business Day this morning: "The high court has now come to Zuma’s rescue, albeit on procedure rather than substance. Though he has not been exonerated, it will be brave prosecutors who pursue fresh charges or take Nicholson on appeal (as they should) in the climate of menace the Zuma camp continues to foster. If Zuma genuinely supports a free judiciary he will now move to stop further attacks on the courts."
SAIRR Opinion: Rasool should take the ANC to court - 24th July 2008
John Kane-Berman says that South Africa’s electoral system and the ruling party’s deployment policy undermine representative government. This column appeared in Business Day on 24th July 2008.
Bad-faith Expropriation Bill not grounded in South Africa’s land realities - 17th April 2008
John Kane-Berman says that giving the government greater expropriation powers will not remedy the problems of large-scale failure in land reform. This column appeared in Business Day on 17th April 2008.
Fight against crime is a race against race hatred
John Kane-Berman says racially-motivated crime appears to be only a small proportion of all crime in South Africa but that it can nevertheless poison race relations. This column appeared in Business Day on 20th March 2008.
Strange silence over McBride defamation ruling
John Kane-Berman discusses various aspects of the recent judgement against The Citizen newspaper. This column appeared in Business Day on 6th March 2008.
ANC in revolt is not a real opposition
John Kane-Berman says the recent battle over the ANC leadership was mainly a power struggle, and had less to do with policy differences, except in the macro-economic sphere. This column appeared in Business Day on 21st February 2008.
Institute rebuts Owen and Altman
The Institute shows how Ken Owen and Miriam Altman launched an ill-informed attack on its poverty data.
Looking for the light after Phosa’s gloomy claim
John Kane-Berman says the ANC’s deployment policy is a threat to democracy. This column appeared in Business Day on 7th February 2008.
Ominous noises from this ‘democracy in action’
John Kane-Berman says the new leadership of the African National Congress plans to impose a Soviet-style government model on South Africa. This column appeared in Business Day on 24th January 2008.
Dark continent can light up of its own accord
John Kane-Berman reports on a recent conference in Berlin where it was argued that Africa could do much more to help itself instead of being dependent on yet another ‘Marshall Plan’. This column appeared in Business Day on 6th December 2007.
Analysing the poverty of the president’s attack
John Kane-Berman replies to an attack on the Institute by President Thabo Mbeki. This column appeared in Business Day on 22nd November 2007.
Recognising the breadth of Helen Suzman’s vision
John Kane-Berman pays a 90th birthday tribute to Helen Suzman, who began her career at the Institute and is now one of its vice-presidents. This article appeared in Business Day on 25th October 2007.
Save private health care from state intervention
John Kane-Berman says promises (or threats) by the health minister to fix private health care are likely to do more harm than good. This column appeared in Business Day on 11th October 2007.
Employment Equity Act keeps the focus on white achievement
John Kane-Berman says white women should never have been made beneficiaries of affirmative action policies. He also says that such policies are more concerned with white than with black achievement. This article appeared in Business Day on 27th September 2007.
The enduring legacy of Stephen Bantu Biko
Professor Sipho Seepe describes some of the key components of the black consciousness philosophy articulated by Steve Biko, who was beaten to death by the security police 30 years ago this month. This article appeared in the Sunday Times on 16th September 2007.
South African Press told the full story about apartheid
John Kane-Berman refutes a suggestion that the previous government had a stranglehold on the Press. This column appeared in Business Day on 13th September 2007.
The Truth Commission’s chickens come home to roost
John Kane-Berman says the Truth Commission’s one-sided composition and its flawed procedures help to explain why various people refused to apply to it for amnesty. This article appeared in Business Day on 16th August 2007.
Taking concerns seriously a big first step for police
The police have published a detailed analysis of crime trends, writes John Kane-Berman. They themselves should also be investigated, since their own figures show that they cannot make South Africa safe. This column appeared in Business Day on 2nd August 2007.
Racial reasoning is seductive but dangerous
Professor Sipho Seepe takes issue with people who suggest all blacks should think alike and that black critics of the government are racists and enemies of black people. This column appeared in Business Day on 8th August 2007.
Signs that South Africa’s affirmative action debate is growing up
Professor Sipho Seepe discusses criticism of current affirmative action policies that has come from blacks as well as whites. This article appeared in Business Day on 25th July 2007.
Protecting a brave history
Professor Sipho Seepe, newly-elected president of the South African Institute of Race Relations, discussed some of the responses to his election. Professor Seepe is head of the Graduate Institute of Management & Technology. This article appeared in Business Day on 11th July 2007.
Adding up sad figures of education after liberation
Thirteen years after the advent of democracy in South Africa, there has been scant improvement in black education. This column by John Kane-Berman appeared in Business Day on 21st June 2007.
Rich irony in unions’ calls for ‘pro-poor’ president
The poor in South Africa would not necessarily be better off if trade union demands for ‘pro-poor’ policies were met, says John Kane-Berman. Reprinted from Business Day of 7th June 2007.
The mathematics of an ‘urban myth’
Frans Cronje challenges the statement by the Employment Equity Commission that South Africa’s skills shortage is an ‘urban myth’. This article appeared in Business Day on 28th May 2007. It is based on data published in the South Africa Survey.
Liberal praise for a man happy to be an adversary
John Kane-Berman reports on accolades for liberals at a dinner to thank the outgoing Leader of the Opposition, Tony Leon, for his contribution to democracy. This column appeared in Business Day on 10th May 2007.
South Africa on a roll or in the doldrums: It depends on where you sit
John Kane-Berman gives an overview of some of the country's current successes and failures. This article, which appeared in the Sunday Tribune on 27th May 2007, is based on his annual South African Mirror report to Institute members, presented in Johanenbsurg, Pretoria, and Cape Town.
Inching forward despite stones in the road
In this article, which appeared in Business Day on 24th May 2007, John Kane-Berman says it is remarkable that the South African economy is growing as fast as it now is. The article is based on the Institute's annual South African Mirror presentation to Institute members in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town.
Accountability is the key to democracy
John Kane-Berman argues against direct presidential election on the grounds that it would weaken Parliament. This article appeared in Business Day on 26th April 2007.
Ruling party need not be life and soul of democracy
In this article, which appeared in Business Day on 12th April 2007, John Kane-Berman says that the executive branch of government is constitutionally accountable to Parliament, not to the ruling party.
Quiet diplomacy and the perpetual right to rule
John Kane-Berman suggests that the reason why the South African government and the African National Congress do not criticise President Robert Mugabe’s behaviour in Zimbabwe is that they in practice endorse his determination to hold on to power. This column appeared in Business Day on 29th March 2007.
Are quotas the targets police should be aiming at?
John Kane-Berman reports on plans to introduce racial and gender quotas at every level of the South African police. This article appeared in Business Day on 1st March 2007.
Money is not the real problem
Commenting on the national budget for 2007/2008, John Kane-Berman argues that money alone will not solve the major problems confronting South Africa in several critical fields. This column appeared in Business Day on 22nd February 2007.
The more things change on the racial front, the more they stay the same
John Kane-Berman suggests that current racial policy will eventually lead to the reintroduction of legislated race classification into South Africa. This column appeared in Business Day on 7th December 2006.
The ‘second economy’ is here to stay
John Kane-Berman says the ‘second economy’ plays a vital role in providing jobs and that the government should not tamper with it. This article appeared in Business Day on 23rd November 2006.
Ridicule succeeds where leadership failed on AIDS
Parliament, the Cabinet, and the ANC are all partly to blame for South Africa’s catastrophic failure to confront the AIDS crisis, says John Kane-Berman. This column appeared in Business Day on 9th November 2006.
Time for some heretical labour reforms
John Kane-Berman says labour policy should not protect the rights of people with jobs at the expense of those without. This column appeared in Business Day on 3rd November.
Time to clean out the Augean stables
John Kane-Berman calls for a commission of enquiry into what is wrong with policing in South Africa. This article appeared in Business Day on 26th October 2006.
Right to personal security meaningless in face of crime
John Kane-Berman says the police, plagued by incompetence, corruption, and poor leadership, and themselves caught up in violence and suicide, are no match for South Africa’s violent criminals. This column appeared in Business Day on 14th September 2006.
Bellicose headlines will not beat crime
John Kane-Berman expresses scepticism about renewed police promises to combat violent crime. He suggests the police are out of their depth. This column appeared in Business Day on 31st August 2006.
Government’s disdainful indifference towards concern about crime
John Kane-Berman says there is nothing new in recent suggestions by a minister that people ‘whingeing’ about crime should emigrate. Nelson Mandela once said the same thing. The government’s continuing refusal to publish quarterly crime figures also shows contempt for the public. This article appeared in Business Day on 17th August 2006.
Redistribution is now the main anti-poverty project
John Kane-Berman says that the social security system has overtaken job creation in the government’s anti-poverty armoury. This column appeared in Business Day on 6th July 2006.
Salute to a truly free spirit
In this tribute to a Soweto businesswoman, John Kane-Berman recalls the days of social segregation and restrictions on black business. This article appeared in Business Day on 22nd June 2006.
From revolt to revolution over 30 years
John Kane-Berman, author of a book on the Soweto disturbances of 1976, looks back at those events and sketches key political developments since then. This column appeared in Business Day on 25th May 2006.
Racial bias in hiring will sabotage push for skills
In this article, published in Business Day on 11th May 2006, John Kane-Berman points to the contradictions between the government’s affirmative action policies and its attempts to overcome South Africa’s crippling shortage of skills.
Health and education struggle amid booming economy
Drawing on the Institute’s latest yearbook, the 2004/2005 South Africa Survey, John Kane-Berman describes some of South Africa’s main successes and failures in recent years. This article appeared in Business Day on 13th April 2006.
No reason for Leon to quit on racial grounds
John Kane-Berman says that the leader of the official opposition should ignore calls to vacate the leadership of his party simply because he is white. This article appeared in Business Day on 30th March 2006.
Danger that South Africa will cut off its nose to spite its face
John Kane-Berman suggests that affirmative action is now less concerned with redress than with implementing the ideology of racial ‘representivity’ imported from America. This column appeared in Business Day on 15th March 2007.
Tribute to Helen Suzman
This tribute to South Africa's leading opposition Member of Parliament during the apartheid years was paid by John Kane-Berman at the opening of the exhibition on Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights in Johannesburg on 5th March 2006.
Much more than laptops is at stake in judiciary bills
John Kane-Berman questions President Thabo Mbeki's suggestion that the threat to judicial independence in draft legislation to amend the Constitution is merely a question of bad wording. This article appeared in Business Day on 2nd March 2006.
Abuse of the law is more serious than thuggery
John Kane-Berman says government and ANC plans to change the structure of the Cape Town city council are an abuse of power. This article appeared in Business Day on 28th September 2006.
Constitution devalued when judicial independence is undermined
John Kane-Berman says the constitutional principle of the separation of powers is being jeopardised by plans to put the judiciary under centralised bureaucratic control. This column appeared in Business Day on 16th February 2006.
Rate of job creation must double to meet government targets
Commenting on the 2006 budget, John Kane-Berman shows that unemployment levels during South Africa's current boom are as high as they were in the US during the Great Depression. This article appeared in Business Day on 16th February 2006.
Land reform policy risks grim harvest of failure
John Kane-Berman says that a desire to stave off populist pressure is probably the real reason for the government's assumption of greater powers to expropriate land. This column appeared in Business Day on 17th November 2005.
War on crime not yet nearly won
John Kane-Berman says the government is complacent about South Africa's continuing very high crime levels, not least the very high incidence of rape of children. This article appeared in Business Day on 20th October 2005.
Labour policy is a joke but no laughing matter
John Kane-Berman suggests that South Africa's bargaining council system does not belong in a free society and should be challenged in the courts. This article appeared in Business Day on 6th October 2005.
Boom for some, bust for others
John Kane-Berman analyses data on poverty and inequality in South Africa. This column appeared in Business Day on 22nd September 2005.
Beggars masquerading as choosers
South Africa is in dire need of much more foreign direct investment. John Kane-Berman points out that the country is therefore ill-advised to demand that foreign companies take on local equity partners. This column appeared in Business Day on 8th September.
The squander of scarce skills
John Kane-Berman points out that South Africa suffers from a skills shortage which handicaps the economy but that skills are wasted on economically unproductive activities. This article appeared in Business Day on 25th August 2005.
Government protection from 'confusion' not needed
John Kane-Berman says there is no good reason to stop publishing high unemployment figures. This article appeared in Business Day on 11th August 2005.
Time for an ANC revolt on Zimbabwe and HIV/AIDS
John Kane-Berman says that the recent revolt in the ANC against President Thabo Mbeki's dismissal of Deputy President Jacob Zuma should be extended to the president's handling of Zimbabwe and HIV/AIDS. This column appeared in Business Day on 14th July 2005.
Jacob Zuma not alone on trial
Having sacked his deputy president over corruption allegations, President Thabo Mbeki will face closer scrutiny in his proclaimed intention to fight this scourge. This column by John Kane-Berman appeared in Business Day on 30th June 2005.
Labour market reform is no longer taboo
John Kane-Berman says liberalisation of the labour market may finally be in the offing, though the process will be slow. This article appeared in Business Day on 2nd June 2005.
Government cannot, and should not, fix the courts
John Kane-Berman replies to government attempts to defend draft legislation that will undermine the independence of the South African judiciary. This article appeared in Business Day on 19th May 2005.
Alarming indifference to threat to judicial independence
John Kane-Berman says there has not been enough opposition to draft legislation attacking the independence of the judiciary. This article appeared in Business Day on 5th May 2005
Bizarre designs against jobs in the clothing industry
In this article, which appeared in Business Day on 21st April 2005, John Kane-Berman says the campaign to enforce minimum wages on small employers in the clothing sector is tantamount to treating some of them as criminals.
White 'baboons' in lambs' clothing
John Kane-Berman takes issue with a university head who called white South Africans 'baboons' and demanded that they be forced to comply with African cultural practices. This column appeared in Business Day on 7th April 2005.
If this is capitalist exploitation, give us more!
Though globalization is blamed for many of the world's ills, John Kane-Berman argues that sub-Saharan Africa needs more, not less, participation in the global economy. This article appeared in Business Day on 24th March 2005.
Scepticism about job figures cuts both ways
John Kane-Berman says the Finance Minister's scepticism about high unemployment figures could also apply to jobs: there may be fewer than the statistics suggest. This article appeared in Business Day on 10th March.
Labour law reform to be welcomed
John Kane-Berman says plans by President Thabo Mbeki to liberalise labour law should be supported. This article appeared in Business Day on 23rd February 2005.
Let the record judge who is in tune with the masses
John Kane-Berman comments on allegations by the African National Congress (ANC) that the 'mindset' of the judiciary is out of tune with the masses. This article appeared in Business Day on 10th February 2005.
Lenin, not Stalin, started it all
In this article, which appeared in Business Day on 14th December, John Kane-Berman points out that the real architect of the system of Soviet terror and dictatorship was Lenin, who is too often exonerated
The hammer and sickle is no less drenched in blood than the swastika
In this article, which appeared in Business Day on 30th November, John Kane-Berman notes that the Western intelligentsia has a blind spot about, even a soft spot for, communism - despite the fact that communists enslaved and murdered people by the million.
Democracy without robust debate is mere ritual
John Kane-Berman says South Africa has too few critical voices, but that people are needed to 'speak truth to power'. This column appeared in Business Day on 5th October following President Thabo Mbeki's attack on Tony Trahar, chief executive of the Anglo American Corporation, after the latter had said political risk in South Africa had started to diminish although it had not 'gone'.
Tribute to Raymond Tucker
Raymond Tucker, honorary legal adviser to the Institute for more than 25 years, was killed on Thursday 9th September. This tribute was written by John Kane-Berman, Chief Executive of the Institute.
A developing country on a slippery slope
John Kane-Berman shows how South Africa's failure to confront AIDS is causing the country to slide down global human development tables. This article appeared in Business Day on 7th September.
ANC and former National Party now have much in common
John Kane-Berman says that the African National Congress and the remnants of the National Party that once ruled South Africa share a belief in using the power of the state. This article appeared in Business Day on 14th August.
Re-racialisation gathers momentum
John Kane-Berman says government requirements based on race have become pervasive in the post-apartheid era. This article appeared in Business Day on 10th August.
Stopping globalisation would not help the poor
In this article, which appeared in Business Day on 27th July, John Kane-Berman points to the irony of attacks on globalisation at a time when it has helped to lift millions of people out of extreme poverty.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
John Kane-Berman argues that, ideological debates aside, South Africa does not have the capacity to be a successful developmental state. This article appeared in Business Day on 13th July.
Roll on the day of 'plain' South Africans?
In this article, published in Business Day on 29th June, John Kane-Berman takes up the call by the national chairman of the African National Congress (ANC) for more debate on affirmative action
A tribute to Ronald Reagan
In this article, published by Business Day on 15th June, John Kane-Berman recalls how Ronald Reagan brought about the end of the 'evil empire'
South Africa is chasing the wrong numbers
John Kane-Berman argues that South Africa's headlong dash for black empowerment deals is undermining the quest to create jobs and combat poverty. This article appeared in Business Day on 1st June 2004.
The 'transformation' agenda requires alternatives, not consensus
John Kane-Berman argues that democracy would be devalued if key aspects of policy were removed from the party-political arena. This article appeared in Business Day on 20th April.
Too many laws, too little thought
John Kane-Berman shows how many laws are enacted without sufficient prior analysis of their practical implications. This article appeared in Business Day on 6th April.
Rights are indivisible - even in jail
John Kane-Berman says the Constitutional Court was right to uphold the voting rights of people serving prison sentences when parliament tried to remove them. The state should also protect other rights of prisoners. This article appeared in Business Day on 23rd March.
Political vituperation is just as vicious now as before
John Kane-Berman points out how post-apartheid South Africa is a far better place than its predecessor, how it may be worse in some respects, and how in some ways it has not changed. This article appeared in Business Day on 9th March.
Minister seems bent on destroying private health care
John Kane-Berman says the minister of health wants to assume dictatorial powers over the private medical profession, which she seems also to loathe. This article appeared in Business day on 24th February.
Disclosure of corporate political giving should be voluntary
Companies should not be compelled to disclose their donations to political parties, says John Kane-Berman in this article which appeared in Business Day on 10th February.
Coerced doctors have a remedy against the health minister
As doctors prepare to march to Parliament to protest against aspects of health legislation, John Kane-Berman argues that they have a good case to challenge the legislation in the Constitutional Court. This article appeared in Business Day on 27th January 2004.
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