Stats SA delivered bittersweet news about easing consumer prices this week. It is good to know that steak is nearly 5% cheaper than a year ago and that inflation on stewing beef - a staple for hearty stews in winter - has slowed to 5.4% since April last year. But how much comfort is that for consumers who have, for some time, been juggling financial priorities to keep their heads above water? The latest consumer price index, published on Wednesday, notes sizeable increases only on bacon, biltong and sausages. Overall annual food inflation continued to moderate to 2.3% in April, though the prices of vegetables, fruit, bread and cereals, fish, sweets and fuel continued to accelerate. The unabated disinflation - a decline in the rate of inflation - coupled with weak demand has anchored inflation within the Reserve Bank's target range of 3%-6% over the past two years. As a result, economists continue to call on the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC) to consider cutting interest rate...
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