Alec Hogg: Open Letter to Cyril Ramaphosa goes viral

Every now and then a piece emerges which I wish I'd written first. The the open letter to Cyril Ramaphosa, published on BizNews yesterday afternoon and already read by more people than a full house at Ellis Park. The author, who I know and have long respected, prefers to remain anonymous – which we will obviously honour because it's the words that really matter. The letter is a blow by blow account setting out why rational South Africans are 'gatvol'. Even if CR chooses to ignore it, the power of the missive – coming on top of SA's week of shame – is its ability to awaken many boiling frogs from their apathetic death spiral. Read it here. 

Another recommendation for you today – if you haven't already booked a seat – is to join myself, Magnus Heystek and Claude Baissac at noon for a special webinar unpacking the way ahead of you and your money. For a "voorsmakie" you can watch the video of my interview with Magnus yesterday – it's on the BizNews TV channel on Youtube. The title of today's webinar is: "SA QUO VADIS – where to from here?" Here's the link to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5776326534417232910

Yesterday marked another chapter in the sickening story of how Big Pharma made billions by selling highly addictive painkillers that killed at least 500 000 Americans (and heaven knows how many elsewhere in the world). Covid-vaccine maker J&J and the US's three largest drug distribution companies have agreed to pay $26bn to resolve thousands of lawsuits on the issue. It should have been far higher. The US does not allow class action lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies – the cases now being settled were brought primarily by US states, local governments, hospitals and Native American tribes.

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