• Inequalities in South African society should be eliminated. However, race is not the right instrument to achieve this. p 1

• Since the mid-1990s a renewed focus on race has made racial preferencing central to much of government policy and legislation. pp 2–4

• ‘Representation’ has gained precedence over the constitutional guarantees of equality. Further, empowerment based on representation has alienated minority groups. pp 4–7

• More households now have access to services, yet overall living conditions of South Africa’s poorest households are largely unchanged after the first decade of democracy. p 1

• Our statistical profile of living conditions, comparing findings of Statistics South Africa’s October Household Survey (1995) and its 2005 General Household Survey. pp 2–6

• Economic barometer. p 7

Fast stats pp 8–12

• The rate of growth in demand for jobs exceeded the rate of growth in the population of working age by 66% between 1995 and 2005. p 1

• A statistical profile of population, employment, and education, comparing findings of Statistics South Africa’s October Household Survey (1995) and its 2005 General Household Survey. pp 2–7

Fast stats pp 8–12

• Judicial independence is falling victim to a combination of complacency and political correctness. p 1

• The controversy about constitutional changes to judicial independence is not about judges at all. It is about the important civic issue of preserving the Constitution. pp 2–7

Fast stats pp 8–12

• Any attempt, no matter how small, to erode fundamental principles of the Constitution is open to objection, for erosion once initiated will almost inevitably go further. p 1

• Two bills under discussion curtail judicial independence by giving administrative and budgetary control over the courts to the justice minister. They also entrench a trend towards reducing judicial autonomy. pp 2–6

• Our labour trends feature gives figures on sectoral jobs and earnings; and on jobs and trade in themotor industry. p 7

• Better-run municipalities may be able to attract investment in competition with others. But people in the poorest communities will not prosper until they get jobs. That requires central government to get its own education, health, and labour market policies right. p 1

• A detailed statistical profile of local government. pp 2–11

Fast stats pp 12–16

• BEE does little to lessen the daily grind of poverty and unemployment, or to create the entrepreneurs the country needs. p 1

• A view of anticipated developments and projections for the country in 2006 and onwards. pp 2–7