We must speak out to safeguard our democracy
As we inch closer to the end of the year, the ANC elective conference is preoccupying the mind of any conscientious observer of South…
by associates
Active citizenship and good governance – how do we get there?
How do we move forward in the current South African crisis? How do we transform in meaningful ways, to go from a society “becoming”…
What would Sol Plaatje and others have done today?
The diary of Sol T Plaatje, written between 1899 and 1900, makes for fascinating reading. It is the only account by a black person of…
Putinesque: Beware the strong man
We know that President Jacob Zuma has taken several trips to Russia since 2009, raising further suspicions that nuclear is a done deal. We…
Fear and loathing: The ANC’s enemies are everywhere
The discussion documents for the ANC’s upcoming fifth policy conference reveal a party that professes a desire for self-correction and renewal but seems to…
Why would we trust Busisiwe Mkhwebane?
Why would we trust her when she has now inserted herself into a controversial debate about the role and function of the South African…
Is a single human rights body in SA’s best interest?
Ten years ago, South Africa’s Parliament formed a committee to review the country’s ‘Chapter 9’ and associated institutions tasked with supporting democracy, human rights…
How can the ANC defend a leader so venal?
In the past week, hundreds of leaked e-mails have provided further details of the alleged levels of state capture and how the so-called “shadow…
South Africa’s parliamentary oversight finally comes into view
When Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and the Eskom board appeared before South Africa’s Parliament last week, the country saw what proper parliamentary oversight…
Beyond Zuma: Let’s do a Merkel and take the long view
At the weekend, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in campaigning mode. As she swilled beer with locals in Munich, Merkel said pointedly, “The days…