Business

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·2 Dec 2019

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

• South African Airways will undergo a “radical restructuring” says Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, as the airline and government are locked in discussions over the former’s request for R2 billion to keep flying. With no financial reports, worker strikes and currently no government support for financing, private business have dropped SAA – including not selling its tickets, nor insuring them. [EWN]

• The Supreme Court of Appeal has made a potentially wide-reaching ruling on the definition of hate speech in South Africa – saying that something can only be called hate speech if it causes harm and incites violence. This could potentially impact a large number of cases, concluded and ongoing, where many broad incidents are being called hate speech. The court has given parliament 18 days to make the definition of hate speech narrower. [City Press]

• The bid for the City of Joburg’s next mayor has hit a stalemate, with the three leading parties vying for the top spot, and not enough outright majority to get it. The IFP has emerged as the kingmaker of sorts – however, the whole ordeal first needs to be tested in court to determine the battleground. This move has been supported by the DA and EFF, but opposed by the ANC, which is challenging it – meaning an even longer wait for Joburg residents. [Mail & Guardian]

• Union Solidarity is threatening to take its fight against the National Health Insurance scheme all the way to the Constitutional Court. Public comments in the form of oral submissions are still open for the bill. Solidarity has submissions from over 30,000 healthcare professionals who are opposed to the bill – but the union argues that their voices aren’t being used, and instead they are being treated as assets for government to use as it sees fit. [Fin24]

• South Africa’s rand firmed against the dollar on Friday, but the currency was stuck in a range as investors sought clarity on whether a new US law backing Hong Kong protesters could derail trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing. On Monday the rand was at R14.65 to the dollar, R18.92 to the pound and R16.14 to the euro.