http://www.sairr.org.za Welcome to the weekly newsletter of the South African Institute of Race Relations. hourly 1 2008-03-10T12:56:41Z http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-warning-bells-for-south-africa-18th-march-2010 Earlier this week the Institute’s new Unit for Risk Analysis described the proposed nationalisation of agricultural land in South Africa as a potentially cataclysmic event for South Africa’s economy. The Government has subsequently denied any intention to nationalise private property. We have reason to doubt their assurances and warn again that the nationalisation of agricultural land is now a published government proposal, that it follows a trend that saw the nationalisation of both mineral and water rights, and that it follows previous efforts to introduce far reaching expropriation legislation. The likelihood of the Government adopting this policy proposal is therefore something that South Africa’s domestic and foreign investors should be very aware of. No publisher Karel SAIRR today newsletter 2010-03-19T09:52:32Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/the-great-empowerment-hoax-and-how-it-saved-south-africa2019s-economy Some weeks ago the Institute published an online SAIRR Today column making the case that white South Africans may come to be seen as inadvertent beneficiaries of empowerment and affirmative action policy. The case made by the Institute was along the lines that cut off from state jobs and tenders, and often discriminated against in the public sector, many whites were forced to become more independent and entrepreneurial to maintain their living standards. This independence we described as a formidable economic asset. We cited substantial data on employment and incomes since 1994 to corroborate our case. Moneyweb columnist Denis Beckett has disagreed saying that ‘new racism, whether defined as AA or BEE or BBBEEE’ benefits no-one. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-03-11T05:53:35Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-is-the-british-media-racist-or-just-reminding-us-of-an-uncomfortable-truth-5th-march-2010 The British newspaper the Daily Mail has made headlines in South Africa for its coverage of President Jacob Zuma’s state visit to the UK. On his arrival in the country, the paper described Zuma as a ‘vile buffoon’ and a ‘sex-obsessed bigot with four wives and 35 children’. Zuma has responded by saying that the British Media is determined to protray Africans as ‘barbaric’ and cannot let go of colonial views towards the continent. No publisher sonia@sairr.org.za Jacob Zuma 2010-03-05T08:04:21Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-student2019s-arrest-welcome-19th-february-2010 This week a student at the University of Cape Town was arrested and detained in police cells for ‘insulting the president’ while a member of the opposition was thrown out of Parliament for doing the same. Both of these incidents are welcome, and the extensive media coverage they have received even more so, in that they might alert many complacent South Africans to the culture of political impunity and intolerance taking root in Government and the ANC. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-03-05T07:44:38Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-looters-or-liberators-11th-february-2009 Media reports suggest that the police have beaten and tortured a number of people while hunting for ‘community leaders’ in Balfour in Mpumalanga. This may be an early indication of how the ANC plans to deal with grass roots threats to its political hegemony in South Africa. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter ANC 2010-02-11T14:13:51Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-take-charge-mr-president-5th-february-2009 By the end of 2007 it had become clear that Jacob Zuma would become South Africa’s president. It appeared at the time that one of his stronger attributes as president would be his leadership ability. This was an ability he had demonstrated on a number of occasions in political spheres ranging from post-1994 KwaZulu-Natal to peace negotiations in central Africa. However with every passing week he seems to be less and less able to exercise effective leadership over his party and his government. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-02-04T08:32:11Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-whither-the-whites-29th-january-2010 White South Africans are quick to complain that affirmative action and black economic empowerment policies have stymied their career opportunities and chances of economic advancement in South Africa. Curiously, however, a review of income and employment indicators for the country does not bare this out. Rather there is now some evidence that the white community may turn out to be an inadvertent beneficiary of the Government’s various empowerment and affirmative action policies. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-01-29T06:14:50Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-our-sports-teams-in-black-and-white-22nd-january-2010 Advocates of ‘representivity’ will be up in arms to learn that none of South Africa’s top three sporting codes is living up to the ideal of a perfect ‘racially representative’ society. A review of South Africa’s most recent cricket, rugby, and soccer squads reveals that not one of South Africa’s race groups makes up the ‘correct’ proportion of any national team. The fact that the general public appears not to be bothered gives the lie to the oft asserted claim that our society should strive to be ‘representative’. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-01-21T14:26:55Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-how-vulnerable-is-south-africa2019s-soccer-world-cup-to-a-major-terrorist-attack-14th-january-2009 The attack by Cabindan separatists on Togo’s soccer team at the current Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Angola has created some controversy about safety surrounding the soccer World Cup to be staged in South Africa later this year. A number of analysts and newspaper editorials have dismissed concerns at terror attacks in South Africa. Soccer authorities have called the idea ‘stupid’ and one newspaper even went as far as to suggest it was ‘racist’. However there is some evidence to suggest that a risk does exist. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-01-14T06:44:29Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-matric-results-no-surprises-7th-january-2010 The latest matric results released today show that South Africa is still struggling to provide a satisfactory education to its school-leavers. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2010-01-07T14:15:17Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-a-year-in-numbers-2013-17th-december-2009 In almost every respect 2009 was a most successful year for the Institute. We produced the widest range of research publications on the country out of all of South Africa’s policy organizations. These generated significant debate and media coverage. In tough financial circumstances we grew our client base and returned very pleasing financial results. Below follow some of the numbers that went into making 2009 a very good year at the Institute. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2009-12-17T12:40:29Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-rethinking-the-inequality-risk-11th-december-2009 Inequality between African South Africans is as great a political risk factor for South Africa as inequality between race groups. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2009-12-11T07:06:37Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-taxpayers-and-social-welfare-4th-december-2009 A comparative analysis of employment, tax, and welfare data shows that while more South Africans are paying individual income tax those taxpayers are also supporting more people on social welfare. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2009-12-04T06:59:53Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-empowerment-which-disempowers-25th-november-2009 Yesterday morning John Kane-Berman delivered the following address to the Solidarity trade union in Pretoria. The text of the address is published as a somewhat early edition of our weekly column SAIRR Today. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2009-11-25T06:51:18Z News Item http://www.sairr.org.za/sairr-today/sairr-today-genocide-is-a-charge-too-far-20th-november-2009 The minister of health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has blamed Thabo Mbeki and his administration for the Aids pandemic in South Africa. Dr Motsoaledi referred to a report that South Africa had 0.7% of the world’s population but 17% of people infected with HIV and Aids. The Young Communist League has gone even further and called for Thabo Mbeki and his health minister to be charged with genocide. Data the Institute has published in its annual South Africa Survey this month shows the extent of the death and suffering inflicted on black South Africans by the Mbeki administration’s HIV and Aids policies. No publisher Frans Cronje SAIRR today newsletter 2009-11-20T09:35:04Z News Item