Help me protect jobs, Ramaphosa asks private sector

EDINBURGH — As South Africa enters a recession, President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged businesses to play a part in reducing rising unemployment. He has called on private sector companies to put a freeze on job cuts and has noted, too, that the government doesn't plan to axe civil servants for the foreseeable future. That kind of political talk will impress potential ANC voters, but it may not please smaller business owners, who are already struggling under the weight of heavy taxes and resent subsidising a corrupt and bloated state administration. – Jackie Cameron