Published in the Sunday Times, 12 April 2026 Thirty years after South Africa’s democratic transition, the paradox of being a voter has sharpened. Citizens continue to love their country deeply, yet their trust in those who govern has eroded. Voting, once an uncomplicated expression of loyalty to the liberation movement, [...]
The vigorous lobbying for Patrice Motsepe to raise his hand and refuse to obey Mbalula's "Ntate Motsepe dula fase" call might not be beneficial for South Africa. There was a time when the ANC released several of its leaders to join the private sector. This was driven by a need [...]
South Africa is in a political transition towards a post-2029 era of new political configurations. The time for one party dominance is up. Multiparty coalition government across all spheres of government is here to stay. This state of affairs triggers thinking on how the country would politically look like.As a [...]
It is that time of the year when humanity is reminded of the divine sacrifice by God the Father, inspiring feelings of gratitude and reverence for His love and mercy. It is a moment of reflection on the meeting agenda of the Trinity, when a decision was made to release [...]
Published in the Sunday Times, 08 March 2026South Africa’s political landscape has long been shaped by the African National Congress (ANC), a movement deeply woven into the democratic project that emerged in 1994. Today, however, the ANC stands at a critical juncture. Its authority, once grounded in collective discipline and [...]
When the evidence leader and the commissioners at the Madlanga Commission began delayering Sergeant Nkosi’s testimony, it became clear that the depth of capture was extensive. In the language often associated with the late Minister Pravin Gordhan, the Nkosi testimony offers critical insight into systemic corruption, making it highly relevant [...]
These were the loudest words said to one of South Africa's billionaires, Patrice Motsepe, at the African National Congress's National General Council in Birchwood. Patrice Motsepe was 'recognisably standing' in the 'front row' as the ANC's Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, was also 'standing' and courting the 'attention' of delegates, some [...]
It is not the reality of Comrade Squire’s passing that unsettles us most. It is the lens through which we must now make sense of life without him.A man larger than life, anchored by one of the most stable and rare internal loci of control, has left us. Death, in [...]
It is increasingly difficult to sustain the belief that the 1994–1996 democratic breakthrough and political settlement ushered in a truly post-race constitutional order as a vehicle for social and economic justice. What it has also enabled is something more complex: the capacity for individuals, institutions, and communities to weaponise the [...]
(Originally written on 30 April 2009; language edited for this 2026 posting)Did the Jacob Zuma ANC victory expose a dearth of rational discourse in our democracy, or did it reignite it?Rational debates are expected to assume scientifically justifiable objectivity, particularly in the often muddy terrain of political theatre. The role [...]
