Latest from the IRR

SA government marches towards fiscal cliff

30 January 2015 – A Fast Facts report released by the IRR found that despite taking a larger and larger chunk of the proceeds of the hard work of ordinary South Africans, the government is running out of money. Only higher levels of economic growth can save it from the approaching fiscal cliff.

IRR report into police criminality – ‘The wolf guards the sheep’

28 January 2015 – The IRR, in conjunction with Afriforum, today released results of an investigation into the extent to which police officers in South Africa plan and execute serious and violent crimes such as murder, rape, and armed robbery. The report is part of the Broken Blue Line, a research project undertaken by the IRR since 2011 to track police involvement in criminality.

South Africa must reform to retain its ‘moderately free’ ranking

27 January 2015 – South Africa has the 72nd freest economy out of 178 countries, according to the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom published today by the Washington DC-based Heritage Foundation. Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand have the most free economies in the world, while Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea have the least free.

Another policy “own goal” for the struggling SA mining sector – BizNews.com, 21 January 2015

With all the excitement in oil markets, it’s easy to forget about other primary industries, like the mining industry that plays such a crucial role in the economy of South Africa. In this piece, Dr Anthea Jeffery of the IRR talks us through the latest policy developments in the mining sector, and how they have the potential to negatively affect the already-struggling industry. It’s sobering to think how quickly bad policy can eviscerate such a long-lived sector.

Gauteng is the best province to live in

29 December 2014 – The key finding is that, on aggregate, Gauteng is the best province in South Africa to live in, followed, in descending order, by the Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Free State, the North West and the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape.

SA’s trade vulnerabilities exposed – BizNews.com, 27 November 2014

Balance is a prized quality in all our affairs. Including a nation’s trade. Being too heavily exposed one way or another exposes vulnerabilities that incentivise mischief. In this fascinating insight, Frans Cronje of the Institute of Race Relations dives into details of South Africa’s trade account with individual countries to expose some disturbing trends. In the process, reminding us of the realities which should be shaping the country’s diplomatic policy.

Time travelling to 2024 – Moneyweb, 21 November 2014

This column, a new initiative between Moneyweb and the IRR, has been conceived to provide theories to where South Africa could be headed. It will track the country’s progress monthly against the scenarios set out above and speculate as to which of the four futures is coming into view.

Law and (dis)order

6 November 2014 – Crime in South Africa: The number of very violent robberies has increased, as has the number of arrests. However, the number of convictions is falling. Therefore, many perpetrators are arrested but not convicted

The P-word remains taboo, but ANC’s fears will come true – Business Day, 3 November 2014

Perhaps the most interesting — and possibly prescient — comment on Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s recent medium-term budget policy statement was that of the chief whip of the EFF, Floyd Shivambu. He expressed the fear that once nonstrategic state assets had been sold, the government would do the same with strategic ones. This, he said, was why the EFF opposed any form of privatisation.

IRR backs minister on youth housing policy

30 October 2014 – The IRR supports the view of the Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu, that free housing should only be directed at the elderly and the indigent and that young people should be required to work to provide their own housing.