On December 5th, the world lost not only a wise and inspiring leader, but a wonderful person in Nelson Mandela. Touching virtually all of our lives, he not only changed the course of world history, but he left us with a vision for change that we must continue to work to make a reality wherever … Continue reading »
South Africa
Berkeley faculty reflect on the legacy of Nelson Mandela
“Never have I seen anybody as universally revered as Nelson Mandela. I do reflect on this phenomenon from time to time, trying to explain it, but despite all he did and achieved, I have not found a satisfactory explanation except that his kind visits humankind once in ages. This is all the more remarkable, in … Continue reading »
Balancing economic development and social welfare in South Africa: The Walmart/Massmart merger
I was invited to South Africa earlier this month to participate in a Competition Tribunal about a proposed merger of Walmart and South African chain Massmart. Facing falling sales in the U.S., Walmart seeks a stake in emerging African markets, and last September offered $4 billion to purchase a controlling portion of Massmart. South Africa … Continue reading »