mmegi

‘David and Goliath’ reach a gentleman’s agreement

Combining forces: Presidents Masisi and Ramaphosa with their respective trade ministers at last week’s meeting 
PIC: BITC FACEBOOK
Combining forces: Presidents Masisi and Ramaphosa with their respective trade ministers at last week’s meeting PIC: BITC FACEBOOK

From decades of living in the economic shadow of South Africa, Trade Minister, Mmusi Kgafela says an agreement has been reached to not compete but cooperate towards industrialisation. His counterpart, Ebrahim Patel, says the bigger prize is working together to replace the trillions Africa spends on imports. Staff Writers, MBONGENI MGUNI and PAULINE DIKUELO report

The matter of South Africa’s economic dominance of Botswana and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states has boiled under the surface of various meetings between the regional neighbours over the decades.

COVID-19 sharply brought the debate to the fore.

Editor's Comment
Ruling party should tread carefully on cadre deployment

But on the particularly sensitive question of cadre deployment, the BNF must tread very carefully.The issue deserves robust debate, not ideological enthusiasm. Recent public comments from the BNF leadership are reassuring: the party has said that government positions should be based on merit and competence rather than party membership, and that it does not have a specific cadre-deployment policy.That principle should remain firmly at the centre...

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