The success of public institutions is deeply rooted in their ability to plan with a long-term perspective, think in generational terms and execute mandates diligently. Put differently, the effectiveness and resilience of organisations hinge on their capacity to adapt, innovate and maintain a vision that transcends immediate challenges. A long-term approach ensures that national development programmes are not reactive but are designed to build sustainable systems that can produce substantive value.   In today’s South Africa, the transformation of the public…

In March, Apple opened its largest retail store on the Chinese mainland in Shanghai – the company’s second-largest flagship store after its Fifth Avenue outlet in New York. The new addition brings Apple’s store tally in Shanghai and the Chinese market to eight and 57, respectively, a significant milestone for the company, which opened its first store in China in 2008.  During his high-profile China visit, Apple CEO Tim Cook, who opened the doors to the new store in Shanghai…

Wonderful, amazing, charming! These words aptly describe my first experience in China when I visited the country to attend the 8th China-Africa Youth Festival, held in Beijing and then Zhejiang Province on 19-26 May.   The visit allowed me to discover China from different aspects: Chinese culture through experiencing Chinese cuisine and art, Chinese history through visits to the Great Wall and a number of museums, and so on. I was also awestruck by the urban infrastructure development, which gives a…

China’s evolving role in global affairs presents a narrative of progressive engagement, marked by a proactive stance on issues of trust, fairness, peace and stability. The country’s emergence as a significant player on the world stage is characterised not merely by economic prowess, but also by a growing commitment to mediating conflicts, fostering cooperation, and promoting mutual development. China’s burgeoning influence through various diplomatic initiatives and engagements has implications for the contemporary international order.  At the heart of China’s approach…

Following the ANC’s underwhelming election performance, South Africa is currently embroiled in a gruesome process of coalition-building. Although this is not necessarily a new problem as it is often portrayed, there was ample time to develop rules and guidelines seeing huge problems the coalition created at the local government level. However, the primary concern now is how political parties are approaching the task of forging working relationships, whether they term them as coalitions or as a ‘government of national unity’…

In public discourse, there is a tendency to incorrectly equate fundamentally dissimilar entities in nature and purpose. The governments of national unity (GNU) established in 1910, the 1990s and 2024 only share a name but are vastly different in context and outcome. Some commentators’ insistence on justifying this ‘sameness’ is intellectually dishonest and misleading.  It is akin to comparing Newcastle in Natal with Newcastle in the UK; they share a name but are distinctly separate places. In mainstream political literature,…

In the aftermath of the 2024 elections in South Africa, there is a pressing need to reconsider the political landscape and chart a course that genuinely serves the interests of the marginalised and downtrodden. Analyst Nco Dube believes that a coalition between the ANC, EFF, and MK is now a possibility and that it “would represent a significant shift in South African politics.” Dube further contends that the potential coalition between the ANC, EFF and MK Party is grounded in…

Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward a series of theoretical explanations on new quality productive forces. He has stressed that high-quality development has to be supported by a new productivity theory. Since new productive forces have emerged and played a strong role in driving and supporting high-quality development, they should be theorised systematically to guide further development.  Chinese Premier Li Qiang also emphasised in this year’s government work report that China will construct a modern industrial system and accelerate…

In the past, outer space was primarily the domain of a few powerful countries and generally considered separate from broader concerns of human security and development. However, in recent times, space technology development has been a dynamic arena in which the majority of the world’s countries, including countries across the continent of Africa, are actively engaged to address their most pressing socio-economic challenges. Since the turn of the millennium, countries across Africa have demonstrated growing interest in developing their space…

On Tuesday, 9 April 2024, the electoral court set aside the IEC’s decision to bar former president Jacob Zuma from running for a parliamentary seat. The IEC had disqualified Zuma due to his criminal record, including a 15-month jail term in 2021. UMkhonto weSizwe Party appealed against the IEC’s decision. The electoral court granted leave to appeal and set aside the IEC ruling.  This decisive turn of events paves the way for him to contest a seat in the National…