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Writer's pictureMangaliso Lushaba

A Week to Forget for Alec Baldwin

Updated: Oct 26, 2021

It’s a weird one to have to start with here this week. I tried to look away. Believe me, I did - I just couldn’t. On Friday last week I came across the unfortunate news that the A-list actor, Mr. Alec Baldwin, had unwittingly fired live ammunition on set of an upcoming movie by the title, “Rust.” Regrettably, the incident was fatal.


The loaded weapon was fired after Baldwin had been assured that it was a “cold gun,” meaning that it was safe to use on set. It was supposed to have fired blank rounds. I learned for the first time that prop guns on movie sets will contain gun powder to achieve the realism that Hollywood is famed for. So far, signs point to the shooting being a total accident. You never think something like this could happen in 2021 and to pose the question that will inevitably come to your mind. Are safety regs due for reupholstery?

FSCA overstepped?

Oh boy! A liquidation order was overturned in favour of, perhaps one of the larger African online forex brokers, JP Markets, much to the chagrin of the sector regulator, the FSCA. The court found that the online broker was not guilty of obfuscation and other big words as had been alleged by the FSCA. This is a milestone for the online forex market in Africa. This ruling lends itself to providing some much needed regulatory certainty in this space. One may expect this to have an impact across SADC, with online brokers conducting their business with “chest” going forward. This comes after the first bitcoin ETF was listed in New York. The financial markets are changing! In case you needed reminding.

What I’m Reading

This week I was reading Matt Ridley’s How Innovation Works. It’s a good book to pick up if you enjoy anecdotes about steam engines and how the Indians invented the number zero. When I started reading this book, I had no idea I was going to write about it so I didn't take many notes. Let me be real... I did not take any notes! So, you and I will depend on the old memory bank just this one time. Why I am even writing about it is because of another book I read this week. More on that later.


How Innovation Works provides evidence that innovation is usually a process that involves many actors. It is rarely the achievement of one person of inconceivable genius. It’s a team sport and how it transpires resembles more an “evolution” than a “revolution.” Historically, innovation has sprouted in regions that cling to ideals of freedom. Those regions also happened to have been prosperous. Go figure! And that is about all I can remember.


On to the book that led to all of this. It’s called Show Your Work. It’s written by Austin Kleon. I think this book is so important that I’ll write a full feature article in its honour... SOON!


🙏🏾 Our condolences go to the friends and families of all emaSwati that have lost loved ones during this trying time. The violence in our streets is uncalled for and I look forward to a time where peace will endure again.


If anything else happened this week, I missed it. Till next Sunday. 👋🏾



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