Share

Mpumelelo Mkhabela | Business may hold the purse strings, but it doesn't equal political know-how

accreditation
Share your Subscriber Article
You have 5 articles to share every month. Send this story to a friend!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
loading...
Loading, please wait...
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
Frustrated with Cyril Ramaphosa, who is likely to be the ANC's presidential candidate again, some businesspeople have been trying to help centre-right opposition parties to organise themselves into a pact even before the 2024 elections, argues the writer. Photo: ANC/X
Frustrated with Cyril Ramaphosa, who is likely to be the ANC's presidential candidate again, some businesspeople have been trying to help centre-right opposition parties to organise themselves into a pact even before the 2024 elections, argues the writer. Photo: ANC/X

It is astonishing, with all we know about South African political dynamics - and business should know too - some captains of industry believe they can fix South Africa's challenges by micro-dictating through purse strings, writes Mpumelelo Mkhabela.

If money on its own could solve state capacity problems, South Africa should be cruising nicely in all critical indicators - on economic growth, social stability, corrupt-free government, and human development, among others.

It was the power of money, after all, that got a superbly wealthy Cyril Ramaphosa elected ANC leader and subsequently president of the country with a promise to score well on important national indicators. 

Read this for free
South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we're about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism. Join our free subscription trial to unlock this story and a world of news aimed to inform, empower, and inspire.
Try our free 14-day trial
Already a subscriber? Sign in
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
President Cyril Ramaphosa will sign the National Health Insurance Bill into law this week.
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
At last. The NHI will improve healthcare for all South Africans.
5% - 264 votes
Cheap politicking before the election. Challenge the Bill in court.
87% - 5089 votes
I don't have strong feelings about the NHI either way.
8% - 470 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.33
-0.8%
Rand - Pound
23.29
-0.9%
Rand - Euro
19.97
-1.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.29
-1.0%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-0.9%
Platinum
1,094.50
+0.7%
Palladium
1,011.50
-0.0%
Gold
2,414.25
-0.1%
Silver
31.49
+0.1%
Brent Crude
83.98
+0.9%
Top 40
73,214
0.0%
All Share
79,531
+0.0%
Resource 10
63,559
+2.2%
Industrial 25
110,578
-1.0%
Financial 15
17,183
-0.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE