Economists and analysts habitually compare presidential GDP records: Nelson Mandela (2.7%), Thabo Mbeki (4.2%), Jacob Zuma (1.7%) and Cyril Ramaphosa (0.6%). This spectacle reduces complex national journeys to a neoliberal scorecard, obscuring the ongoing structural effects of apartheid behind sporadic growth spurts. As Joseph Stiglitz aptly notes, GDP measures “everything except that which makes life worthwhile.” South Africa proves this: under Mbeki’s so-called boom, inequality deepened and unemployment barely moved. By 2025, poverty affected 63% of the population, overall unemployment…

South Africa’s century-long tradition of elite pact-making began with the 1910 Union, which forged white unity through excluding black South Africans from political life. In response, black elites—mostly Christianised African professionals and chiefs, collectively known as amazemtiti or ‘Black Englishmen’—formed the ANC in 1912, hoping to counter this settler compact through petitions and appeals to imperial justice. “Tell England that we are not the barbarians they think we are.”—Sol Plaatje, 1914 formal protest letter to King George V against the…

Former EFF politician Mbuyiseni Ndlozi argues that a president cannot find anyone guilty, advocating instead for proper judicial commissions of inquiry, led by a judge, with strict timelines. He deems this “PROPER” for a democracy. However, the subsequent analysis of South African commissions reveals how they often fall short of this ideal, instead perpetuating systemic violence and delaying justice. The Commissions Act, 1947 (Act No. 8 of 1947), used for inquiries like the Zondo Commission on state capture, originated under…

The outcry was swift when Capitec CEO Gerrie Fourie dared to challenge South Africa’s sacred unemployment statistic. “The unemployment rate is probably actually 10%,” he contended, arguing that Stats SA’s headline figure of 32.9% ignores the vibrant informal economy where “everyone is doing something.” Critics were quick to dismiss him as ignorant, unscientific, even a “denialist,” with former Statistician-General Pali Lehohla lambasting Fourie’s claims as “madness” and “lying,” vigorously defending Stats SA’s methodology. Radio presenter Ashraf Garda, however, noted the…

Autumn graduation ceremonies at South African universities have become a celebration, joy and cultural display spectacle. Dancing, ululating and traditional performances such as indlamu fill auditoriums and social media feeds. On the surface, these jubilant ceremonies reflect pride and achievement, especially among Black students who have traversed significant socio-economic and structural hurdles to obtain their degrees.  However, behind the rhythmic steps and colourful gowns lies a sobering contradiction: the persistent failure of South African universities to respond meaningfully to the…

Education remains a highly contentious subject in the African context. Historically, it has served as both a powerful instrument of empowerment, opening avenues for individual and societal advancement, and a tool of insidious subjugation, used to enforce colonial ideologies and erode indigenous knowledge systems. The enduring intersection of knowledge, power and the lingering residue of colonial legacy continues to shape contemporary debates. As such, this creates a fraught terrain where questions of who is deemed ‘educated’ and whose knowledge systems…

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi has announced that additional state capture cases will be enrolled in 2025. She acknowledged the prevailing perception that the NPA’s success is judged solely by the imprisonment of a politician for state capture, stating, “A great deal of effort is being put into this matter, and I am highly confident that this year will bring significant progress with further case enrolments.” South Africa’s legal landscape is riddled with contradictions, where, in the words…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) returned from its US visit emboldened, declaring itself a “steadfast and credible advocate for South Africa’s national interests on the international stage” despite its junior role in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The ANC asserted that foreign policy remains the “preserve of the executive,” exposing the fragility of South Africa’s fragmented governance system, which internal divisions and global right-wing shifts strain. DA MP Willie Aucamp’s demand for ANC concessions on foreign policy, suggesting that the…

Most analysts tend to focus on events like AfriForum and Solidarity lobbying for US intervention or Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ill-fated visit to Washington. However, an ugly and unprecedented confrontation in the Oval Office hammered home how a transactional approach to diplomacy, providing aid and cooperation only if the recipient pays, could impact the United States’ economic and geopolitical relations with other countries and regions under Trump. This transactional philosophy threatens to upend decades of US engagement with Africa, Europe…

The United States has long positioned itself as a global champion of human rights, democracy and economic opportunity. However, its policies and decisions concerning South Africa, particularly regarding its white minority, have often been fraught with contradictions, suspicions and unintended consequences.  From the apartheid era through the post-1994 democratic transition, Washington’s involvement in South Africa has frequently exacerbated racial tensions and economic disparities. The recent surge in H-2A visas issued to South African farm workers, who are predominantly white, and…