HSF Briefs

Policy in the United States of America towards Sub-Saharan Africa has been a relatively stable issue over the course of the past few presidential administrations. In stark contrast to the debates that exist around American foreign policy in many other regions, American policy towards Africa has largely enjoyed bipartisan support from both Republicans and Democrats since the end of the Cold-War. This policy has been focussed on three main areas, which are likely to remain at the core of America’s relations with Sub-Saharan Africa; trade, foreign aid and security cooperation. Rafael Friedman explores what impact, if any, the shock election of Donald Trump will have on these.

TVET colleges ought to be an integral part of post-schooling in South Africa. This brief explores the current status of these colleges and the environment they operate in.

The growth of America's Global War on Terror has raised a number of questions for the African continent. Including the scope of American involvement and the impact that it has, and is likely to have, on counter-terror efforts in Africa. Rafael Friedman explores these in this brief.

As a result of the publicity which several state-owned enterprises have enjoyed recently, especially from a governance and finance perspective, the logical question is to what degree they pose a real danger to the health of the State’s finances. This brief by Charles Collocott is based on the detailed Budget Review, as published by National Treasury on the date of the budget speech on 22 February 2017.

This brief follows other recent pieces which we have published on the issue of nuclear power in South Africa (see our briefs dated 18 November 2016 and 15 December 2016). It provides an update to the debate surrounding Government plans for new nuclear power, highlighting two issues that continue to crop up in the public debate and which can be confusing without the necessary background. It also provides the essential facts relating to the court application by Earthlife Africa and the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute, set down for hearing in the High Court on 22 February 2017.

This brief sketches the background to attempts by the ACSA Board to address alleged fraud and corruption - and in reaction, the Minister of Transport attempts to fire almost half the Board.