Cholera risk in Malawi climbs as Cyclone Freddy wreaks further havoc
Malawi, already having battled its worst cholera outbreak this year, faces renewed risk of the water-borne diarrhoeal disease after heavy rains from a tropical cyclone damaged power supplies and other infrastructure.
Cyclone Freddy hit the southern African nation for a second time in a month, after bringing downpours and havoc to other African nations including Madagascar and Mozambique.
2 min read.
Why central banks are too powerful and have created our inflation crisis – by the banking expert who pioneered quantitative easing
This is an incredible read, it references the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) (10 March 2023) but starts off with the 1973 war between Israel and an Arab coalition led by Egypt and Syria, leading to the establishment of Opec (Oil producing exporting countries). Many other global incidents are cited and critiqued alongside the trend of getting rid of smaller banks to make way for central banks. Be prepared for a long and heady read which raises a lot of questions about what a thriving economy should look like and more recently why the US allowed SVB to be bought out before guaranteeing depositors’ money. 15 min read.
“CBDCs are not a solution to a problem, but the latest goal in the multi-decade struggle by central planners for maximum powers – at the unnecessary cost of crises, inflation, economic dislocation and unemployment.” Richard Werner
Kokkie Kooyman on bank failures: ‘The panic should be over’
Veteran financial sector portfolio manager Kokkie Kooyman believes that the actions by the Federal Reserve over the weekend will have stabilised the banking system in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
‘By stepping in and guaranteeing deposits, they are saying to all depositors in the US that you don’t have to worry, you don’t have to withdraw your money, we will stand behind the banks,’
A very different view of bank failures seen from an investor’s point of view. 3 min read.
Experts weigh in on Silicon Valley Bank collapse
Whilst we could not predict the exact circumstances of any particular crisis, the type of problems surrounding SVB are not wholly surprising given the rate of monetary tightening following a period of exceptional stimulus. They are unlikely to be the last of such events. Sebastian Mullins, Fund Manager, Multi-Asset at Schroders.
Recent events are certainly concerning for anyone invested in small US banks that have a material bias towards uninsured corporate depositors. Andrew Williams, Investment Director – Value Equities at Schroders
This is current news and there has been a lot of reaction to it. Be informed and read a range of articles to improve your understanding of the collapse. 5 min read.
China loses more than 40 million workers as population ages
China’s number of working people has fallen by more than 41 million in the past three years, reflecting both the coronavirus pandemic’s toll on the economy and a decline in the working age population.
Retirement age is critical for a developing country. France is also experiencing opposition to raising the retirement age. 3 min read.
Eskom’s ‘quick fix’ to cut load shedding by 2 stages gets the green light
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has granted embattled power utility Eskom an exemption to speed up the Kusile Power Station’s return to service – but the environment will suffer for it.
A difficult decision, but critical to make now. What are your thoughts? 3 min read.
Nehawu ends strike by healthcare workers after reaching a settlement with the government
Trade union Nehawu has ended the strike by public healthcare workers after reaching an in-principle settlement with the government over their pay for 2022. In a separate development, the government has increased its pay rise offer from 4.7% to 7% for 2023/24, according to trade unions.
4 min read. How do you think the government will pay for the increase?
Hospitals and patients bear the brunt of disruptive Nehawu strike
Another doctor, who has been working almost non-stop at Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp, spoke to Daily Maverick on Tuesday morning amid chaos at the hospital as strikers stopped staff from entering.
“It’s actually not a nursing strike,” he said angrily. “It’s a Nehawu strike. Most nurses here are not even Nehawu members. They belong to Hospersa. Nehawu’s members are the cleaners, admin clerks and so on.”
8 min read of what transpired on the ground in the hospitals.