Vuma FM clarifies Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma's contract termination claims
Vuma FM has come out fighting following claims it terminated Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma's contract due to her links with the March on March movement.
In a short statement on Monday, the KwaZulu-Natal-based radio station 'set the record straight' explaining that Ngobese-Zuma was not dismissed but rather that, as an independent contractor, her contract had reached its natural conclusion.
"All of our presenter contracts are subject to annual renewal at the station's discretion, a standard practice in our industry.
"Vuma FM made the line-up based on internal, annual evaluation and not influenced by any external party," the radio station said.
It further thanked Ngobese-Zuma for her contribution to the station and wished her well in the future.
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Worrying drop in Durban business confidence index
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This suggests that businesses are becoming less optimistic about both current and future economic conditions in Durban,' the report stated. However, the report noted that, while the Durban BCI declined, it remains above the neutral zone and significantly outperforms the national BCI. The national index fell from 45 points in the first quarter of 2025 to 40 points in the current quarter. Therefore, it appears that the ongoing decline in the Durban BCI is likely driven by the national economic situation rather than factors specific to Durban, the report said. Looking at the performance of individual industries, the report noted that following a strong improvement in 2025Q1, driven by favourable weather conditions, among other factors, business confidence in the agricultural sector decreased by 51% in the second quarter. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ This decline is primarily attributed to global uncertainties and animal diseases that affect production and market stability in the animal husbandry sub-sector. However, confidence in the agricultural sector was 1% higher in 2025Q2 than in the corresponding quarter in 2024. Manufacturing experienced a sharp decline in business confidence during the second quarter of 2025, with confidence in this sector dropping from 61.71 to 41.82 between the first and second quarters. Ongoing global trade uncertainty, weak domestic and global demand, high operating costs, infrastructure constraints, and logistical inefficiencies continue to be the main causes of this deterioration. The financial intermediation, insurance, real estate, and business services sector experienced a 2% contraction, declining from 54.85 in the first quarter of 2025 to 53.52 in the second quarter. This indicates that confidence in this sector was 0.96% lower compared to the same quarter in 2024. Business confidence in the electricity, gas, and water sector was also significantly low in the second quarter of 2025. The wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and personal and household goods, as well as catering and accommodation, recorded a 13% improvement in business confidence in the second quarter of 2025, rising from 43.79 in the previous quarter to 49.63 in the quarter under review. This improvement, the report said, is largely due to reductions in the cost of living, with inflation falling below the target range, coupled with the recent interest rate cut. However, this is countered by the increasing tax burden and the recent rise in the prices of petroleum products. The transport, storage, and communication sector recorded a 6% improvement in confidence, which was attributed to improved land cargo and air transport operations. The report also found that poor service delivery continues to be a concern for businesspeople in Durban. 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South African intellectuals propose new strategies for economic empowerment
Christo Van der Rheede hosted the FW De Klerk Foundation conference. Image: File A recent conference hosted by the FW de Klerk Foundation in collaboration with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung brought together prominent South African intellectuals to discuss alternative ways to empower South Africans and stimulate economic growth. The Constitutional Rights conference, titled "Achieving an Inclusive Economy", featured panellists including Moeletsi Mbeki, Ashor Sarupen, Dr Celeste Campher, Ismail Joosub, and Professor William Gumede. One of the key topics discussed at the conference, hosted by its Executive Director Christo van der Rheede, was the need to rethink the current Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy. Mbeki, a prominent economist and businessman, argued that BEE has failed to achieve its intended goals and has instead created a culture of dependency among black professionals. Video Player is loading. 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Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "We have to repeal Black Economic Empowerment legislation," Mbeki said. "One of the most important consequences of the BEE combined with public sector salaries is that it disincentivises, especially young black professionals, to become entrepreneurs. It incentivises them to become public sector employees, and this is why South Africa is not building new companies." Gumede, a leading expert on economic development, proposed alternative empowerment strategies that focus on pragmatism and inclusivity. Gumede argued that the current BEE policy has benefited only a small elite group of black individuals, while leaving the majority of South Africans behind. "We need to shift to alternative optics of empowerment," he said. "The way empowerment is structured now is based on giving politically connected ANC leaders and trade union leaders benefits in existing companies. We need to bring small companies into supply chains and manufacturing so that the supply chains are in manufacturing. Secondly, we need to reward skills training and reward employment so that empowerment becomes that if you employ young people.' Gumede said pragmatism was a philosophy that must be implemented in South Africa. 'From South Africa's point of view, we need to focus all our state, economic, and nation-building initiatives on pragmatism… We need to look at what works and what is in the interest of everyone. We need to remove anti-growth policies,' he said. The conference also discussed the need to reduce the public sector wage bill, which is seen as unsustainable and detrimental to economic growth. Campher, an economist and policy analyst, argued that the government should prioritise infrastructure development and job creation over social interventions. "The current public sector wage bill must be reduced drastically to afford the building of public infrastructure," Campher said. "Our roads, harbours, and railway system are in a dilapidated state and must be fixed." Sarupen, a businessman and entrepreneur, proposed a Basic Employment Grant scheme that would provide individuals with a grant in exchange for rendering basic services at the municipal level. Sarupen argued that this approach would not only provide a safety net for the poor but also promote entrepreneurship and skills development. "A Basic Employment Grant should also be integrated with a skills and entrepreneurial development programme," Sarupen said. "Continuing to hand out grants for free perpetuates and has entrenched a dependency culture." One of the attendees of the conference, which was held in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, said that it highlighted the need for alternative empowerment strategies that prioritise inclusivity, pragmatism, and entrepreneurship. "If we rethink the current BEE policy and promote small businesses and job creation, South Africa can stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty and inequality," he said.
