Readers’ Views

Column was bang on the button over Ramaphosa’s recovery plan

Hilary Joffe manages to flag the main weaknesses of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s so-called recovery plan, “Local is lekker, but showpiece grand plans won’t do the trick” (October 18).

The false hope of limited-duration public works jobs, the misleading assumptions about the infrastructure programme and the dated theoretical framework behind the localisation initiative.

While I agree that we need the structural reforms, they alone won’t bring investment and jobs.

Andrew Merrifield, on businessLIVE

A bang-on-the-button column. And no, they do not grasp the importance of entrepreneurial or small businesses. Never gets a mention.

I’d be very surprised if they get invited to sit in that Nedlac chummy club.

Pet Bug, on businessLIVE

ANC clinging to control

The ANC just doesn’t get it — or doesn’t want to get it, “Short-term jobs plan ‘ignores private sector’” (October 18). “Public jobs” will not create economic growth and will merely increase the already out-ofcontrol budget deficit.

The truth is becoming increasingly clear for all to see. The ANC wants to spend SA’s money. It does not want the private sector doing that because it will reduce its level of control and weaken its political agenda and power. It believes in a command-andcontrol state.

Until this agenda is moderated, SA seems destined to continue to fail as a state.

Steve Shepherd, on businessLIVE

Mall maul

“Anchors aweigh in mall deals” (Newsmaker, October 18) refers. So, if I understand this correctly, we will have the following scenario: currently, a developer can only raise the finance to build a new mall if it can find a major long-term tenant. No guaranteed major tenant, no finance, no new mall.

How does this help entry-level businesses?

Lloyd Macklin, on businessLIVE

Brexit: what a mess

I don’t claim to know much about Brexit, “UK gets ready for no deal with EU” (October 18), but it seems that:

The UK is trying to throw its ● weight around, weight it does not have; and

The EU wants to poach fish from ● UK waters.

What a mess, especially at this late stage.

Geoff Smailes, on businessLIVE

A disaster for the UK and very sad for South Africans invested there.

It’s going to be tough over the next few years.

Chris Evans, on businessLIVE