

John Kane-Berman
John Kane-Berman, a graduate of Wits and Oxford (where he was a Rhodes Scholar), is a former CEO of the IRR. Prior to that he spent ten years in journalism, where he was senior assistant editor of the Financial Mail and South African correspondent for numerous foreign papers. He is the author of several books on South African politics, and has also published his memoirs.
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Articles By This Author

How much deregulation did Donald Trump actually achieve?
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Feb 22, 2021
Donald Trump famously declared that ‘for every new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations [must] be identified for elimination’. This was music to the

The two men who saved the monarchy
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Feb 15, 2021
Earlier this month, Queen Elizabeth II entered the 70th year of her reign, her father, King George VI, having died on 6 February 1952. Had

What did the Land Acts actually say, and what is ‘land reform’ actually about?
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Feb 8, 2021
Last week my colleague Anthea Jeffery reminded us that the deputy president, David Mabuza, had said that the Expropriation Bill currently before Parliament was necessary

The Paris Agreement: a costly and damaging failure?
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Feb 1, 2021
The US will shortly be part of the Paris Agreement once again. It will therefore be committed to helping keep the rise in the planet’s

Why must taxpayers subsidise cars for rich greens?
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Jan 25, 2021
Elon Musk is now supposedly the richest man in the world. Although he is the market leader, he is not the only manufacturer of electric

Shareholder activists need to ask plenty more questions
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Jan 18, 2021
Welcome to the past. When the National Party was still ruling South Africa, Barclays, a major and highly visible British bank, was one of the

Trump not alone in attacks on democracy, but he is now beyond the pale
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Jan 11, 2021
If last week’s invasion of Capitol Hill was an attempted coup, then it ranks as one of the most inept in history. The reaction to

Brexit at last: a great day all round
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Jan 4, 2021
The United Kingdom’s exit last week from the European Union is a victory for legitimacy, democracy, decentralisation, and accountability. These principles, and the regain of

Clean energy’s dirty secrets
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Dec 14, 2020
What could be more agreeable? Oodles of electricity free of charge and free of carbon. Two big claims are made for solar and wind energy.

Why is cheap electricity so expensive?
- By John Kane-Berman
- . Dec 7, 2020
So now we know. One of the reasons for retaining South African exchange controls is to ensure that enough money is available for investment in