BUSINESSMAN Herman Mashaba’s Capitalist Crusader is a thought-provoking documentation of SA’s social and economic ills. It also proposes solutions to issues close to the heart of every South African: education, poverty and unemployment.
The gist of the book is that every South African should be mindful of what they can do, no matter how little, to change SA’s fortunes.
Mashaba’s book comes at a time when the country’s economic woes seem to be mounting. Growth is waning, unemployment has reached alarming proportions and government debt is still on the rise. With some business people afraid of losing business when they speak out against this government’s failure, it is refreshing to hear one speak so frankly about SA’s ills and how they can be resolved.
Mashaba argues strongly that the government should play less of a role in business and allow it to operate freely and set prices, but within the ambit of the law. One can only imagine the explosive debate that would take place if Mashaba and the author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty, were left alone in a room, given their very different views on the role of capitalism in today’s world.
Mashaba’s gravitas comes from his history, starting a business when almost everything was against a black man doing so. He is, of course, well known for starting the successful hair care company Black Like Me from nothing.
Mashaba tackles several contentious issues, most notably that of the labour laws. For instance, he to minimum wage legislation as a major deterrent to job creation. Many business people who have had minimum wage levels imposed on them will agree. The debate over a national minimum wage, and not just the ones determined at bargaining councils, continues and the outcome will be interesting to watch.
Mashaba contends that some labour laws are costing the economy jobs, because if employers, especially small businesses, cannot pay salaries in accordance with the law, they simply retrench.
He also has a go at the controversial government expropriation of agricultural land. Many are likely to share his views on this.
It is no problem that Mashaba is openly and unapologetically a member of the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, after having been an African National Congress member for a long time. The only difficultly is that Mashaba uses his book to canvass support for his political party by dedicating a whole chapter to this.
Picture: THINKSTOCK
BUSINESSMAN Herman Mashaba’s Capitalist Crusader is a thought-provoking documentation of SA’s social and economic ills. It also proposes solutions to issues close to the heart of every South African: education, poverty and unemployment.
The gist of the book is that every South African should be mindful of what they can do, no matter how little, to change SA’s fortunes.
Mashaba’s book comes at a time when the country’s economic woes seem to be mounting. Growth is waning, unemployment has reached alarming proportions and government debt is still on the rise. With some business people afraid of losing business when they speak out against this government’s failure, it is refreshing to hear one speak so frankly about SA’s ills and how they can be resolved.
Mashaba argues strongly that the government should play less of a role in business and allow it to operate freely and set prices, but within the ambit of the law. One can only imagine the explosive debate that would take place if Mashaba and the author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty, were left alone in a room, given their very different views on the role of capitalism in today’s world.
Mashaba’s gravitas comes from his history, starting a business when almost everything was against a black man doing so. He is, of course, well known for starting the successful hair care company Black Like Me from nothing.
Mashaba tackles several contentious issues, most notably that of the labour laws. For instance, he to minimum wage legislation as a major deterrent to job creation. Many business people who have had minimum wage levels imposed on them will agree. The debate over a national minimum wage, and not just the ones determined at bargaining councils, continues and the outcome will be interesting to watch.
Mashaba contends that some labour laws are costing the economy jobs, because if employers, especially small businesses, cannot pay salaries in accordance with the law, they simply retrench.
He also has a go at the controversial government expropriation of agricultural land. Many are likely to share his views on this.
It is no problem that Mashaba is openly and unapologetically a member of the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, after having been an African National Congress member for a long time. The only difficultly is that Mashaba uses his book to canvass support for his political party by dedicating a whole chapter to this.
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