This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). It is also the inaugural year for implementing the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing. In June, Changsha, Hunan Province, hosted a series of China-Africa engagements poised to deepen their ties further. On 11 June, the Ministerial… Continue reading New Agreements and Projects Expand the Scope of China-Africa Cooperation across All Sectors
Category: Opinion
What the Newly Established Mediation Body in China’s Hong Kong Means for Africa
In a world fraying under geopolitical tensions, legal asymmetry, and fragmented global governance, the launch of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) in China’s Hong Kong on 30 May is much more than a diplomatic novelty. It is a strategic recalibration of how the Global South, particularly African nations, might resolve disputes without surrendering sovereignty… Continue reading What the Newly Established Mediation Body in China’s Hong Kong Means for Africa
The Gilded Gavel: How Private Funding Shackles Africa’s Beacon Court to Re-colonial Shadows
The Constitutional Court of South Africa stands as a potent symbol of hard-won freedom, a gleaming architectural and jurisprudential rebuke to apartheid’s tyranny. Its rulings on socio-economic rights, dignity and equality promised a rupture from a past where the state – the colonial and apartheid corpus– stood irrevocably alienated from, and hostile to, the Black… Continue reading The Gilded Gavel: How Private Funding Shackles Africa’s Beacon Court to Re-colonial Shadows
Vigilante Groups: Where is Humanity When Operation Dudula Addresses illegal immigration issues in South Africa?
It’s important to lay down the foundation of knowledge and data about the extent of attacks on illegal immigrants in South Africa over the past decade or so. Many debates arise within the topics of migration, migrant rights, and the structures and systems when it comes to how wide the scope should be considered in… Continue reading Vigilante Groups: Where is Humanity When Operation Dudula Addresses illegal immigration issues in South Africa?
The Power of Words: A Turning Point for Political Discourse in South Africa
In a landmark ruling, the Gauteng High Court has sent a clear and powerful message: hate speech, even when disguised as political rhetoric, has no place in public discourse. The case between EFF President Julius Malema and Patriotic Alliance (PA) Deputy President Kenny Kunene, one that has captured the attention of South Africans and beyond,… Continue reading The Power of Words: A Turning Point for Political Discourse in South Africa
How Neoliberal Dogma and its GDP, Jobs Mirage Continue to Betray SA’s Liberation Promise
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… Continue reading How Neoliberal Dogma and its GDP, Jobs Mirage Continue to Betray SA’s Liberation Promise
From ‘Black Englishmen’ to Black Diamonds: History of Elite Pact-Making and Majority Black Exclusion in South Africa
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… Continue reading From ‘Black Englishmen’ to Black Diamonds: History of Elite Pact-Making and Majority Black Exclusion in South Africa
Is Ukraine Purchasing Arms Via the United Arab Emirates?
The South African government has initiated a formal investigation following the emergence of leaked documents allegedly tied to Ukraine’s intelligence services. The documents, published anonymously online, suggest that Ukrainian operatives have established a network of legal entities in the United Arab Emirates to covertly procure military and technical equipment from South Africa and other countries,… Continue reading Is Ukraine Purchasing Arms Via the United Arab Emirates?
South Africa Is Not Ready for the Coming White-Collar AI Bloodbath
A major disruption is unfolding in global white-collar employment. According to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs could vanish in the next five years due to advances in artificial intelligence. As detailed in Axios’ article “Behind the Curtain: A White-Collar Bloodbath”, this isn’t science fiction; it’s a forecast from one… Continue reading South Africa Is Not Ready for the Coming White-Collar AI Bloodbath
How Commissions in South Africa Perpetuate Systemic Violence and Delay Justice
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… Continue reading How Commissions in South Africa Perpetuate Systemic Violence and Delay Justice