A tale of two speeches
The fractures in world politics were on full display at the World Economic Forum this week, as two very different leaders took the podium. Two
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Kneejerk “pro-police” response does not serve conservatism, and certainly not liberty
The recent controversy around the killing of Renee Good in the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees – a complex situation in itself – has once more revealed the unfortunate simplicity with which conservatives and the broader
ANC’s Iran posture is undermining SA’s national interests
South Africa’s foreign policy decision-making is increasingly becoming a reputational risk for the country, particularly its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Starting 2026 with naval exercises off the shores of the Western Cape with China, Russia, and Iran
Forced to flee: chaos and disorder in SA
Nicholas Lorimer and John Endres discuss the impact of lawlessness and lack of property protection on South Africa's poorest people. They also discuss the internal feud in the DA over December, and the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. https://www.youtube.com/live/Ulb9ipP2sCE?si=faFlOFhJJSdbMhqR
What the fall of the Islamic Republic could mean
Regime change in Iran would be an historic breakpoint that might be compared to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The latest revolt on the streets across Iran and the destruction by Israel of its main proxies, Hamas,
A big sign the ANC is losing on NHI
Nicholas Lorimer and Hermann Pretorius discuss the call for a truce on NHI, Adriaan Basson endorsing the DA, and a scandal in Buffalo City. https://www.youtube.com/live/LAXqWEkmg18?si=ZUvzx21uM0BSM4KM
“Hard realism” versus liberal principles
In an article for The Common Sense, Frans Cronjé argues that America’s foreign policy is a strategic necessity to “restore America”. Cronjé’s political analysis is usually sensible and uncommonly perspicacious. A scenario planner by trade, Cronjé is the head of
What does “outside executive control” mean in SA law?
Arising out of feedback received after the Daily Friend published my commentary, The state of the rule of law in SA in 2026, on 14 January 2026, it is plain that the concept “outside executive control” is not well understood
PAD statement on the Uganda election
The Platform for African Democrats (PAD) takes note of developments around the Uganda election held on 15 January 2026. This was an election that offered Ugandans a choice between two vastly different futures: one represented continuity in the form of