Why SA is in a fiscal free-fall
SA’s public finances are in far worse shape than most realised — but the remedies required to stabilise debt appear beyond the reach of today’s politicians
07 November 2019 - 05:00
Finance minister Tito Mboweni shocked the nation last week by presenting a medium-term budget that shows SA has backed itself into a fiscal crisis and will be in debt distress in a few years if the status quo continues.
Financial markets were appalled by the deterioration in SA’s debt metrics and the absence of a credible plan to take evasive action or deal with Eskom’s R440bn debt. In the immediate aftermath, government bonds sold off sharply and the rand weakened nearly 3% against the dollar.
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