On 2 April 2018, South Africa and the world at large received news of the passing of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. She passed away at the age of 81 after a long illness. Dubbed ‘Mother of the Nation’, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela became a potent symbol of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle when she was banished and jailed for campaigning for the rights of black South Africans and the release of Nelson Mandela. The nation united to pay tribute to Mama Winnie, applauding her strength and fierce nature. In tribute to her, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “In the face of exploitation, she was a champion of justice and equality. Throughout her life she made an everlasting contribution to the struggle through sacrifice and her unyielding determination. Her dedication to the plight of her people gained her the love and the respect of the nation.
Her death almost coincided with the anniversary of the death of Chris Hani, who was assassinated on 10 April 1993. Hani was the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto weSizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). He was a fierce opponent of the apartheid government. It is also interesting to note that both these individuals passed on in April, a month that is used to commemorate the freedom of South Africans from Apartheid. They had the courage to confront the apartheid regime in pursuit of freedom, which did not come free for them as they paid with their lives, whether through death or sacrifices made. So in celebration of Freedom Day on 27 April, let us remember what it took for our country to be liberated and also continue to fight for freedom from other factors such as poverty, unemployment, sexism and other forms of discrimination.
In this month’s issue of Mbalo Brief, our educational article is based on A Comparative analysis of emerging socioeconomic issues in selected SADC countries, Report No: 03-01-24 (2007-2012), published on 29 March 2018.
Articles published in this issue are based on results of industry surveys conducted for the months ranging from January to February 2018.

Download Mbalo Brief– April 2018