Floyd Shivambu’s redeployment from the position of secretary general of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party to a seat in parliament is not simply a procedural shift. It is a symbolic moment that pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of a party still constructing its identity — and, more crucially, its power logic. What […]
Tanzania has made great progress in saving the lives of mothers. In just seven years, the country’s maternal mortality rate has been reduced by more than 80% — from 556 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016 down to 104 in 2022. This is not only a national achievement; it is a model for Africa, […]
8 Jun, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Reimagining SA-US relations in the aftermath of the Oval Office spectacle
The Oval Office encounter between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump was no ordinary diplomatic engagement. It was a geopolitical theatre — a collision of clashing narratives, one anchored in misinformation, the other focused on sustaining economic opportunities. Yet beneath the theatrics lay deep tectonic shifts in the global order. If […]
8 Jun, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Unpacking the dangers of the proposed amendments to Zambia’s constitution, Part II
In this series on Zambia, Part II looks at legalising the use of public resources for election campaigns. (Part 1 here) The second benefit that Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema seeks to achieve through Bill 7 is getting members of parliament to campaign for his re-election and their own using public resources. The president hopes to achieve […]
I decided to rewatch the movie Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema. Besides being an excellent film directed by Ralph Ziman, I started examining the fictional protagonist Lucky Kunene. He is a symbol of struggle and represents individuals who were involved with the hijacking of buildings in Jozi’s suburb of Hillbrow during the 1990s. The character Lucky is […]
The anti-migration regulations in Europe and the US against Africans continue to affect the sociopolitical and economic development of Africa. Thousands of Africans who apply for visas continue to have their applications rejected. Moreover, most Africans are charged exorbitant non-refundable fees when applying for visas. Millions in foreign and local currencies are accumulated by European […]
Draft regulations under the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act may be prioritising oil and gas development and disregarding the imperative to shift away from fossil fuels and the risk of creating stranded assets. This is contained in a letter from eco-justice organisation, The Green Connection, to the department of mineral and petroleum resources. Submitted on […]
7 Jun, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Less testing, more thinking: The case for project-based learning in schools
When we talk about what school must teach young people to be, we often fall back on buzzwords: entrepreneurs, forward-facing leaders, innovative thinkers, team players. But what do these labels actually mean in the context of a classroom — and beyond? At its core, preparing young people for the future means helping them to think […]
South Africa’s industrial decline is accelerating. State-owned enterprises that once drove economic transformation now epitomise institutional failure. Eskom’s power cuts cripple manufacturing. Transnet’s rail network deteriorates while ports struggle with backlogs. The Industrial Development Corporation, established to finance industrialisation, limps along with a compromised balance sheet. This infrastructure was built on the vision of Jan […]
For the past four centuries, corporations have exploited — butchered — the African continent, leaving behind scars, open wounds and entrails which can be seen from space. The history of the continent could be told as one of corporate rule briefly interrupted by colonialism or, as the late novelist and scholar Ngugi wa Thiong’o put […]