Born Free, Taxed to Death

The 11th-hour postponement of last week’s budget speech arguably caused more drama and consternation than any of the speech’s content was likely to. The official line was that “some of the government of national unity partners were not happy with a proposal to increase VAT from 15% to 17%.”From what I can see, the Democratic Alliance is claiming somewhat smug responsibility for this. A Bloomberg report states, “The Democratic Alliance (DA) defended its decision to obstruct a surprise plan to hike value-added tax, forcing an unprecedented delay in the presentation of the annual budget.”“Unprecedented” is exactly the right word. This is the first time a budget speech has been postponed since the end of apartheid in 1994, possibly even longer.The article also quotes DA leader John Steenhuisen as saying, “It prevents the implementation of a 2% VAT increase that would have broken the back of our economy. “For the first time ever, the ANC was prevented from tabling an anti-growth budget. We will now fight with the same vigour to introduce a new budget that is anchored in growing the economy, rather than increasing taxes or debt.”Click below to read the full article.https://lnkd.in/d_CGpb8Xhashtag#budget hashtag#budgetspeech hashtag#VAT hashtag#VATincrease hashtag#growth hashtag#fraudhashtag#corruption hashtag#forensicservices hashtag#forensics hashtag#Forensicinvestigationhashtag#trailblazers

Are We Learning To Love Corruption?

Do South Africans have a weird version of Stockholm Syndrome? For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s used to describe the psychological coping mechanism people can develop during prolonged periods of trauma or abuse, where they actually start to feel sympathy or even affection for their captors or abusers.
It takes its name from a bank robbery in Stockholm in 1973. During a 6-day standoff with police, many hostages started to feel sympathetic towards their captors – to the point where some refused to later testify against them in court and even raised money for their defence!
So, why do I think some South Africans might have developed this strange but somewhat understandable trait? Because we’ve lived with the fallout from corruption for so long, we’re starting to make it work for us.
 
Click the link to read the full article - https://lnkd.in/d3FZCAkc\ #stockholmsyndrome
 
#southafrica #corruption #fraud #forensicservices #forensicinvestigation #trailblazers

Are you hearing voices?

Is honesty always the best policy?
That might seem like a strange question coming from someone for whom ethical leadership and good governance are always going to be hills worth dying on.
Of course, we’ve always known that the odd, well-intentioned white lie, “No, those jeans do not make your bottom look big,” is generally harmless, but is there ever a point when complete and total honesty are actually dangerous?
It’s a contentious issue, and one which the multi-award-winning 2014 short film, The Gunfighter, highlights superbly.
If you haven’t ever watched it, do yourself a favour and take a look – just make sure anyone watching with you is over 18, as there are a couple of lines that might have a few sensitive people clutching their pearls.
 
 

Knowledge Alone Is Not Power

In a world where information is at our fingertips, it's easy to assume that simply acquiring knowledge is the key to success. However, especially in fields like South Africa’s financial sector, knowledge alone is not enough. To truly empower oneself, it’s the application of that knowledge—often in the form of wisdom—that drives meaningful results. From detecting tender fraud to combating cybercrime, the real strength lies in how knowledge is applied to solve complex financial issues and bring accountability.Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom: Understanding the Core Differences.To appreciate the importance of applied knowledge, it's vital to distinguish between information, knowledge, and wisdom.

Johannesburg: Has The City Of Gold Finally Lost Its Shine

In a world where information is at our fingertips, it's easy to assume that simply acquiring knowledge is the key to success. However, especially in fields like South Africa’s financial sector, knowledge alone is not enough. To truly empower oneself, it’s the application of that knowledge—often in the form of wisdom—that drives meaningful results. From detecting tender fraud to combating cybercrime, the real strength lies in how knowledge is applied to solve complex financial issues and bring accountability.Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom: Understanding the Core Differences.To appreciate the importance of applied knowledge, it's vital to distinguish between information, knowledge, and wisdom.

Spin Doctors vs Medical Doctors

800.
As I write, that’s the number of newly qualified South African doctors currently looking for jobs.
In a country like South Africa, where the public health sector is circling the drain, you would think a batch of freshly minted medical professionals would be like catnip to the Department of Health.
Not so.
 

Paradise Plundered

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it."
Frédéric Bastiat's words from over 200 years ago about the normalization of plunder in society still ring true in 2024 South Africa. 

Is The Political Party Funding Act Some Kind of April Fool’s Joke

The Political Party Funding Act comes into effect on 1 April 2021. It will supposedly regulate the public and private funding of political parties.
The presidency says the act “will have far-reaching consequences for good governance and ethical political activity.
What is the point of bringing in new laws - no matter how well-intentioned - if government officials see no reason to abide by the laws we already have.
 

Riding the South African Heatwave - Is South Africa Too Hot To Handle?

I’m no rap artist, but it has to be said: Things are looking so grim in South Africa right now the phrase “drop it like it’s hot” is ringing in my ears. 
We are staring down the barrel of another hard year of loadshedding, interest rate hikes, escalating cost of living, and rampant corruption and fraud. Not to mention the odd bit of corporate poisoning to spice things up a little.