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HSF Briefs

Just who is undermining Parliament?
Author: Charles Simkins
Published: 30 Sep 2014
"[T]he NEC noted the extent to which Parliamentary processes have descended into chaos and the unruly offensive on the ANC in Parliament, Parliament itself and on democracy in our country. Hooliganism and insult are at unprecedented levels and are unfortunately being defined as a tool of engagement. The decorum and dignity of Parliament as an institution is being dragged through the mud under the cover of the right to be robust." - Statement of the ANC National Executive Committee following meeting held 21-29 September 2014
Briefs Politics
Let a Hundred Black Industrialists Bloom
Author: Charles Simkins
Published: 23 Sep 2014
For some time now, the creation of a hundred black industrialists has been on the government’s agenda. It was discussed at the National Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Summit in October 2013. Last month, the Deputy Minister of Trade Industry, Mzwandile Masina, announced that it was to be done in the next three years.
Economy Briefs
The Public Protector - a Jewel in South Africa's Constitutional Crown
Author: Chris Pieters
Published: 17 Sep 2014
The Office of the Public Protector is not beyond review or criticism. But there is an important line that needs to be drawn beyond which criticism can degenerate into abuse whether of the incumbent or the office. This brief seeks to elucidate that very line.
Briefs Justice
Barnard Case - a Missed Opportunity
Author: Kameel Premhid
Published: 17 Sep 2014
The recent judgment of the Constitutional Court (CC) in the matter of South African Police Service v Solidarity obo Barnard [2014] ZACC 23 is noteworthy, not for what the application managed to achieve but, rather, for what it failed to.
Briefs Social Justice
The SADC Tribunal's Disappointing Rebirth
Author: Kameel Premhid
Published: 09 Sep 2014
The adoption of the newest SADC Tribunal Protocol has sought to rebirth the Tribunal after a long gestation period where it underwent significant review. The latest manifestation indicates that the region’s efforts at taking the rule of law, and regional integration, seriously are nothing short of being stillborn
Briefs Upholding the Rule of Law International
Understanding the Spy Tapes Saga
Author: Kameel Premhid
Published: 01 Sep 2014
The ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) that the ‘Spy Tapes’ are to be released to the Democratic Alliance (DA), is an important decision for the rule of law. This brief tracks the case’s history and explains what the next steps will be.
Briefs Justice
The Distribution of Income and the Distribution of Wealth in South Africa Part 1 - The Facts
Author: Charles Simkins
Published: 01 Sep 2014
To the lay mind, wealth and income often mean more or less the same thing. For economists, the terms are distinct. Wealth is the sum of all your assets less your liabilities and is a stock concept. Income is a flow and refers to what you receive in a given period, say a year. They are related, because income less consumption is an addition to wealth and wealth creates an entitlement to income in the form of interest, dividends, property rentals and the like, which form a component of income, alongside earnings and transfers (such as social grants).
Briefs Social Justice