Sibusiso Sibisi is chief executive officer of the CSIR, South Africa’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. They don’t make many headlines, but CSIR research and development is opening the way for new made-in- SA technology and enterprises. Ben Turok: Is it true that CSIR was founded mainly to meet the needs of the defence... Continue Reading →
“Confronting Inequality”: A report on IFAA Conference
By Michael Nassen Smith, Deputy Director of the Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA) publisher of New Agenda: South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy The Institute for African Alternatives recently hosted a conference on “Confronting Inequality”. This is a report back on conference proceedings. We believe that sharing a summary of the conference... Continue Reading →
Confronting Inequality in South Africa
THIS IS THE BACKGROUND PAPER FOR IFAA's FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE ON INEQUALITY. THURSDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2017, JOHANNESBURG *This paper will appear in New Agenda Issue 66 “We know from historical experience that if inequality is not addressed through peaceful means and peaceful democratic institutions it’s always potentially a source of violence.” Thomas Piketty It is... Continue Reading →
Reserve Bank: Keeping an ear to the ground. An interview with Gill Marcus (Part 2)
This is the second part of an extensive interview Gill Marcus gave Ben Turok one month before she finished her term as governor of the South African Reserve Bank. The first part appeared in our previous issue (No. 56, 4:2014), and is available here. Here, Marcus discusses the Bank’s extensive engagement with internal and external stakeholders, and... Continue Reading →
Interview to IOL News: SA a tinderbox waiting to burn
Prof. Turok speaks to Zenzile Khoisan. The full text is reprinted below. Johannesburg - Legendary academic and parliamentarian Professor Ben Turok believes South Africa is in crisis and urgent interventions are required to prevent the fallout in a country that’s “tinder waiting to burn”. On the saga surrounding the R246-million upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s... Continue Reading →
The obstacle of import parity pricing
Prof. Ben Turok (director) writes on import parity pricing as an obstacle for beneficiation. Published in Business Day 12/02/2015 The report on the legislative proposals discussed at the Mining Indaba (Minister goes back on mining agreement, February 11) raises many concerns. The mining industry has consistently stuck to its determination to sell minerals in SA... Continue Reading →
