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SCIS in the press

The SCIS team write regular analysis and op-ed articles for the popular press. Here is a selection of the latest writing.

2024 | General SCIS in the Press news

Read Julia Taylor, Imraan Valodia, Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Sarah Cook and Somali Cerise's piece on Climate change — women’s role in the economy is key to a just transition.
Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor, Katrina Lehmann-Grube say that Developing nations are least responsible for climate change but cop it worst
COP29: who pays for climate action in developing nations – and how much – becomes more urgent by Nina Ives and David Hall
Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor and Katrina Lehmann-Grube ask: Will the COP29 climate talks tackle injustice?
Diane Elson on Economic policies encourage the careless use of people and the planet
Diana Vela-Almeida on The just energy transition ignores labour outside the formal economy. So is it just?
Read Ruth Castel-Branco's op-ed on how a decade ago, such a protest movement in Mozambique would have been difficult to fathom
Chiara Grazini and Giulio Guarini on how climate change is hitting women the hardest, and what to do about it.
Michael Sachs asks treasury to ease up fiscal austerity.
According to Maria S. Floro, climate change is making it harder for people to get the care that they need.
GDP - an outdated way of measuring the economy by Radhika Balakrishnan
Read Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor and Sonia Phalatse's climate change op-ed on why care for humans, other species and the natural environment is the key to a just transition.
Watch Imraan Valodia's Newsrooom Africa interview on South Africa's unemployment crisis.
Watch Thokozile Madonko's SABC interview on the Basic Education Minister's listening and learning tour and the impact of budget cuts on the education system.
Read Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor, Katrina Lehmann-Grube, and Sonia Phalatse's Daily Maverick op-ed on (In)justice in the year of climate finance at COP29 and G20 summit.
Mbuso Moyo's op-ed on Mining and geopolitics: Who controls Southern Africa's platinum?
Imraan Valodia's op-ed on South Africa's joblessness crisis and fixing it will take fresh thinking to find a game-changer.
Listen to Katrina Lehman-Grube's interview on SAfm about the lack of transparency on the Just Energy Transition Partnership funding.
Watch Julia Taylor's Morning Live interviewed Julia Taylor about the concerns over the Just Energy Transition Partnership funding.
Kabir Arora (Qabeer Jalandhari), SCIS PhD Fellow, is appointed as General Secretary of the International Alliance of Waste Pickers.
Imraan Valodia asks now that South Africa’s political monopoly has been broken: could it help the economy?
Edward Cottle was referenced by Beth Amato in this Curiosity article on democracy titled a violent freedom.
Thokozile Madonko tells Beth Amato why social grants are a hand up and not a hand-out.
Sonia Phalatse, Yashila Govender, Imraan Valodia, Katrina Lehman-Grube and Julia Taylor, tell us why political party manifestos lack a clear, coherent and inspiring roadmap for a just transition.
Listen to Buntu Siwisa's interview with Jeremy Maggs on MonewWeb@Midday Podcast on the Securitising responses to inequality conflict.
Buntu Siwisa cautions South Africa against adopting the Zimbabwe Way: Securitising responses to inequality conflict: Beware the Zimbabwe way
Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor and Sonia Phalatse ask what happened to the Just Energy Transition grant funding.
Obituary | Read Imraan Valodia's moving tribute to Professor Eddie Webster: 'The Sociology Madala' who shaped the way we think about the world.
WATCH Thokozile Madonko as she dissects the 2023 Budget on SABC on the SABC's SA Today program.
WATCH Thokozile Madonko on Newzroom Afrika as tells us why Finance Minister's 2024 Budget is a delicate balancing act.
Listen to Thokozile Madonko's SONA-related commentary on SAFm and on PowerFM
Ufrieda Ho sat down with SCIS researchers to get their views on the Israel-Palestine war. Here, they explain their solidarity with Palestine.

2023

Yashila Govender, Bathandwa Mtebele, Julia Taylor and Imraan Valodia tell us why more COP input is needed from Global South universities.
Yashila Govender, Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Sonia Phalatse, Julia Taylor and Imraan Valodia on the road to COP28: key debates and expectations for South Africa.
Listen to Julia Taylor's SAfm interview on South Africa's 12 year-old renewable energy programme.
Aalia Cassim, Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor, Rod Crompton share insights on South Africa's 12-year-old renewable energy programme.
Lisa Vetten and Thokozile Madonko tell us about the finance minister's misunderstanding of the social development sector.
Read Melissa Tandiwe Myambo's piece on India to Africa to the UK: Diasporas don't influence politics in predictable ways.
Arabo K. Ewinyu discusses the gender pay gap in private sector and state-owned companies. Listen here.
Imraan Valodia and Arabo K. Ewinyu tell us why South Africa's wage gap is huge: Why companies should report what CEOs and workers earn.
The PEP team was part of an MTBPS 2023 Roundtable. WATCH the SABC interview
Michael Sachs on how the budget will hurt key public services and fail to halt rise of debt and how the 'grim' MTBPS is a new budget, and not an adjustment.
Watch: Michael Sachs' interview with eNCA's Thami Ngubeni on Growing calls for a review on higher education funding model.
Read: Nozipho Marere's op-ed in the Mail and Guardian on Sweeping the city clean: 'Anti poor' plans for urban renewal.
Watch: Arabo K. Ewinyu's eNCA interview with Tumelo Mothotoana on the fact that Companies may be forced to declare pay gaps.
Listen to Eddie Webster's Power FM radio interview on trade unions and the new economy.
Eddie Webster's op-ed, Trade unions and the new economy: 3 African case studies show how workers are recasting their power in the digital age, first published by The Conversation, was republished by Econ3x3
Imraan Valodia was interviewed by Clarence Ford on Cape Talk about South Africa's inequality curse. Listen to the radio interview here.
Eddie Webster was also interviewed by Radio Islam here on 3 African case studies how workers are recasting their power in the digital age.
Eddie Webster's op-ed in The Conversation about Trade unions and the new economy: 3 African case studies show how workers are recasting their power in the digital age.
WATCH - Imraan Valodia's interview with Thembekile Mrototo on Newzroom Afrika talking about South Africa's inequality curse.
Research by the SCIS Public Economy Project was quoted in this Business Day op-ed: chronicle of a fiscal crisis foretold
Imraan Valodia tells us why South Africa can't crack the inequality curse and what needs to be done.
Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Julia Taylor, Imraan Valodia, Rod Crompton, Jason Huang and Ian Jandrell on how grid capacity poses a significant obstacle to renewables transition and fixing loadshedidng.
Michael Sachs was interviewed by Channel Africa's radio show, Africa Rise and Shine, on Treasury's outlook on the economy
The PEP team was extensively quoted in this Business Day article, SA's fiscal outlook is far worse than most realise
Imraan Valodia and Sarah Cook were amongst leading economists and experts who penned a letter to the UN and World Bank on runaway global inequality
Fikile Masikane writes about food couriers in three African cities and how they are riding to survive
Imraan Valodia and Julia Taylor on Ensuring (that) a just energy transition is complex
Julia Taylor was interviewed by the Associated Press about the challenges of South Africa's green energy transition.
Thokozile Madonko and Lisa Vetten on why the Social development budget is not fit for purpose
Michael Sachs on why SA's budget has become less credible
Research Associate, Lisa Vetten, was interviewed about the implications of the Gauteng Social Development Department's budget cut on social welfare services. Watch the eNCA report.
Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor and Katrina Lehmann-Grube on Facing the climate crisis in a world of inequality: Who should pay? Who will pay?
Michael Sachs on how core services shrinkage in the budget will harm the poor
Imraan Valodia and David Everatt tell us how informal settlements could drive South Africa's rooftop solar revolution
Edward Webster and Fikile Masikane recently participated in a podcast on their research on platform work. They were joined by researchers from a range of countries including Italy, India and South Africa and discuss differences and similarities in their research findings. Listen to part 1 and part 2
Edward Webster delivered the 2022 Annual Neil Aggett Labour Studies Lecture: "Re-Casting the Power of Labour in the Digital Age", Watch it here.
Edward Webster on why nation-building is still relevant in building a non-racial South Africa

2022

Julia Taylor, Aalia Cassim and Imraan Valodia explore The macroeconomic risks and opportunities of a transition to a low-carbon economy for South Africa.
Imraan Valodia, Siviwe Mhlana and Julia Taylor, on Gender, care, and climate change: Why they are connected,
Michael Sachs, Arabo K. Ewinyu, and Olwethu Shedi explain how budget pressures have eroded the capacity of the criminal justice system
Imraan Valodia and Julia Taylor take us through key outcomes from COP27
Edward Webster and Ruth Castel-Branco tell us how worker organisations can survive the digital age
Imraan Valodia and Julia Taylor explain what COP27 is and why we should care
Thokozile Madonko tells us why SA needs a bold, visionary mini budget and an end to austerity policymaking and why we must be outraged at the fact that there are no alternatives to the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement
Michael Sachs. Arabo K. Ewinyu and Olwethu Shedi provide an analysis of spending in South Africa's public service and tell us although demand is growing. real spending is falling
Ruth Castel-Branco discusses various social protection programmes that have been implemented in the last three decades and why although social grants offer cash, they aren't a magic bullet response to inequality in the global south
Imraan Valodia, Siviwe Mhlana, and Julia Taylor tell us why gender, care and climate change are connected
Arabo K. Ewinyu and Olwethu Shedi tell us why although significant strides have been made in the labour market, Women in SA continue to bear a double (or triple) burden
SCIS' PhD Fellow Kudakwashe Manjondo's take on Harare: dirty city, dirty politics, dirty black gold
Alex Mobubetswane Mashilo says auto manufacturing is changing and this is how South Africa can adjust to protect workers and jobs
What's wrong with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, listen to this podcast by Ruth Castel-Branco, Nyanjala Nyabola, and Ozayr Patel
Ruth Castel-Branco and Hannah J. Dawson tell us how digital labour platforms subject global South workers to 'algorithmic insecurity' and again here
In this Cape Talk interview, Edward Webster weighs in on the recently-leaked 'Uber Files' and how the company has failed drivers
Siviwe Mhlana and David Francis on unemployment and the need for government to think of new approaches in addressing this crisis
Edward Webster recently chaired a conversation about grassroots democracy and resistance for a Pen South Africa podcast episode titled Grassroots Movements, Housing and Hope
Ruth Castel-Branco and Hannah J. Dawson on the fourth industrial revolution: a seductive idea requiring critical engagement
Imraan Valodia and Julia Taylor discuss the threats posed by climate change to livelihoods of all humanity, especially in the Global South
Imraan Valodia and David Francis discuss how socio-economic realities in South Africa impact growth and investment
Edward Webster remembers Rick Turner in real utopias and the impracticality of realism
Imraan Valodia, Julia Taylor, and Shirona Patel tell us how universities can play a central role in fostering a transformative approach to climate change
Michael Sachs warns of future tax hikes
Michael Sachs on how President Ramaphosa could use the BIG to garner support for the ANC ahead of 2024
Michael Sachs says on political courage and basic income support

2020

Work from home reserved for the privileged few in SA write Ruth Castel-Branco, Sandiswa Mapukata and Edward Webster
SA on one-way ride to a debt crisis, warns Michael Sachs. More analysis here, here, here and here.
Edward Webster was part of a BBC Panel discussing some of the barriers to systemic reform on racism
Michael Sachs was interviewed on episode 106 of the Voices from SA Podcast. Among other things he talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the South African economy, the role of the State and certain Government Departments.
SA’s richest 3 500 own more than the bottom 32 million. Read more here, here and here.
Ruth Castel-Branco’s policy recommendations for work and social protections in Mozambique was published (in Portuguese). The English version is available here.
Aroop Chatterjee was interviewed by Michael Avery on Classic FM regarding the findings of his latest working paper estimating household wealth distribution in South Africa.
Imraan Valodia reflected on the Presidential economic recovery package on Radio New Frame
Michael Sachs spoke at a virtual webinar organised by the CDE on how the COVID-19 disaster and the proposed response will affect South Africa’s public finances. His slides are available here.
Like a magnifying glass, the COVID Pandemic has exposed the fragility of global capitalism and the systemic violence it produces writes Ruth Castel-Branco in her FES blog article.
Imraan Valodia participated in a webinar on the impact of COVID-19 on workers in the informal sector
South Africa needs to mitigate the worst of its inequalities in tackling coronavirus, by Imraan Valodia and David Francis: South Africa won't flatten the COVID-19 pandemic curve unless all citizens have the means to stay at home. But for many, it's either they stay at home and starving, or go out to make a living.
Michael Sachs commented on the necessary fiscal stimulus package for the South African economy.
Imraan Valodia proposes ten programmes to implement urgently in light of the Covid-19 crisis
Imraan Valodia later commented on President Ramaphosa’s economic proposals
The results of work by Aroop Chatterjee (SCIS), Amory Gethin (World Inequality Lab) and Léo Czajka (World Inequality Lab & Université Catholique de Louvain), and their latest working paper on estimating the distribution of household wealth in South Africa are widely quoted in today’s newspapers: Daily Maverick, Ground Up and SA People.
Michael Sachs provided analysis on Budget 2020 across various media channels: as part of a panel on Classic FM, in the Business Day, and in City Press. You can also read some of his comments on the budget in the Mail and Guardian.
Michael Sachs spoke at GIBS’ Economic Outlook 2020 Conference on the 20^th of February. This event was covered extensively by Business Day and Engineering News.
Ruth Castel-Branco. A people cannot bid farewell to their history Africa is a Country, February 2020

2019

Imraan Valodia. Data and Dominance CURIOSI.TY, pp. 46 – 47, 2019
Edward Webster. Organising precarious workers in Africa Open Democracy, 2019
Edward Webster. Mass Strikes and Social Movement Unionism Progress in Political Economy, 2019
David Francis and Imraan Valodia. There’s a nugget of good news in the latest unemployment figures Daily Maverick, 2019
Edward Webster. Trade unions and the Polanyian countermovement: a Southern perspective Culture, Practice and Europeanization, 2019
Edward Webster. In Memoriam: Rob Lambert (1945-2019) Global Labour Journal, 2019

SCIS in the press

2024 | General SCIS in the Press news

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