Politicsweb.co.za 30 January 2018 Shawn Hagedorn says finding a path towards high job creating growth is essential One metric makes SA manageable SA’s politics-meets-economics dialogue is too distorted by unrealistic social justice notions to identify appropriate goals, policies, and progress metrics. The new ANC president must assertively chart a course and determine how best to…Continue reading If Ramaphosa fails

Politicsweb.co.za 2 January 2018 Shawn Hagedorn says the country’s future prosperity requires a turn from patrimonialism SA’s leaders must genuinely engage university students Jacob Zuma’s final gambit as ANC President was to breed divisiveness through politicising the plight of SA’s low-income, high achieving students. As Cyril Ramaphosa, the party’s new leader, proposes creating a broad…Continue reading What university students need to know

Politicsweb.co.za 12 January 2018 Shawn Hagedorn says external pressure needed for ANC president to overcome internal opposition SA’s necessary grand compromise What do you do if you suddenly become the head of an evangelical church built on teachings which benefit the church’s elites at the expense of the congregation? The teachings must change. But for…Continue reading Ramaphosa has to go for growth

Politicsweb.co.za 14 December 2017 Shawn Hagedorn says without economic growth we’re trapped Locating SA within a global context 13 December 2017 Despite a modest debt load, SA’s credit rating is set to be junk rated for many years. Credit agencies have been explicit that this stems from the absence of a workable growth model. This…Continue reading Escape from junk status

14th December 2017 Despite a modest debt load, SA’s credit rating is set to be junk rated for many years. Credit agencies have been explicit that this stems from the absence of a workable growth model. This requires liberating exporting opportunities from redistribution focused regulations. The underlying blockage is that SA’s politics place the country within a…Continue reading Strap yourselves in for a long junk-status ride

Politicsweb.co.za 28 November 2017 Shawn Hagedorn says we are a society unable to think its way out of its current predicament With the ANC’s pivotal elective conference less than a month away, Parliament released its High Level Panel’s report on “Assessment of Key Legislation” and “Acceleration of Fundamental Change”. The report mixes some worthwhile ideas…Continue reading South Africa’s introspection deficit

Politicsweb.co.za 4 November 2017 Shawn Hagedorn says Zuma’s corruption will force us to make the hard choices soon Jacob Zuma created a massive patronage network without benefit of a complicit finance minister. Viewing this through morality-focused lenses forfeits necessary insights. The ANC’s policy prescriptions had become hopelessly misguided long before the Zuma era arrived. SA’s…Continue reading Gigaba personifies SA’s growth and atonement challenges

27th September 2017 During apartheid, the dominance of government and business was split between Afrikaners and English South Africans, respectively. Dave Steward, former chief of staff to President de Klerk, can be heard on YouTube making the point that if you put sociologists in charge, you get social engineering. HF Verwoerd was killed over fifty years…Continue reading KPMG trigger for real radical economic transformation, starting with accountants

Politicsweb.co.za 16 August 2017 Shawn Hagedorn says the other scenarios are rapidly becoming unworkable Shawn Hagedorn | 16 August 2017 Shawn Hagedorn says the other scenarios are rapidly becoming unworkable Jacob Zuma’s two key challenges now appear far more elusive than he, or anyone else, could have anticipated a year ago: First, he needs his camp…Continue reading Why the anti-Zuma camp must break from the ANC

25th July 2017 The ANC’s prospects to remain united and achieve an electoral majority in 2019 are steadily dimming. Yet a national coalition government risks a repeat of 1994 where a new regime is morally legitimate but factional interests preclude effective policy making. What the IMF and credit agencies have in mind when they stress the need for sweeping…Continue reading Looming SA coalition, no bed of roses