Sometimes you do need to praise a dog for barking

A piece of news caught my eye last week. It was a story from Tanzania about how Tundu Lissu, the leader of the main opposition party, had been arrested and charged with treason. This is ahead of elections that are

How many must die in the name of your being “law-abiding”?

“We need municipal authorisation,” is a common line heard from community organisers that on its face appears innocuous but might increasingly hold deadly consequences. What will it take for South Africans to break free of the psychological hold the state has

ANC support is cracking

Chris Hattingh and Nicholas Lorimer discuss the ANC’s weakening support base, the ANC’s view of itself, and the health minister promising new hospitals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZYTWiPqlJw

If the ANC backs down on the VAT increase

The ANC appears to be on the verge of backing down on any increase in VAT.  At first, the ANC’s back-down on a VAT increase was partial and gradual, but it now looks as if it will be sudden and

Municipalities, do your duty

Budget 2025, with the drama surrounding it, is all the rage these days. With the Government of National Unity on the ropes, let’s keep talking about how governments spend your money – or do not. Every quarter, National Treasury (NT)

The game has changed: a new era in SA politics

Hermann Pretorius and Nicholas Lorimer discuss the results of an IRR poll which has the DA, for the first time in South African history, being the largest party in a country-wide poll. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTUT-Or7FIk

Mission Impossible

How Javier Milei differs from Donald Trump

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, famously gave Elon Musk a chainsaw. As similar as he appears to Donald Trump, he differs in key respects. Milei is often compared to Trump and to other right-wing populist leaders, like Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. As