Faithful hound

Gangster’s paradise: state capture isn’t over

Bombshell accusations levelled at police minister Senzo Mchunu demonstrate that one way or another, the state remains captured at the highest levels. On 16 August 2021, almost four years ago, president Cyril Ramaphosa said that state capture “was brought to

Never a dull moment: Elon's new political party and the flight of investors

On Friday, Elon Musk announced the formation of a new political party, the America Party, with himself as primary funder and ideological core − and chief marketer, obviously. He has a direct line to 100 million Americans and is likely

Iran: is genuine, positive change a plausible prospect?

There is much debate in the analytical sphere as to whether the audacious attacks on Iran's nuclear production and weapons sites were sufficient to set back Iran's nuclear programme. The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency announced on 12 June

Cops & Robbers?

Nicholas Lorimer and Hermann Pretorius discuss accusations by a senior cop that the minister of police is covering up political killings. They also talk about a Bidvest bursary that excludes poor white kids, and a problem with the President's plane.

National Dialogue: consensus not realistic

As I write this, South Africa is looking at a dialogue “process”. This is the National Dialogue, a project close to President Ramaphosa’s heart. It is meant to be a big, bold conversation about who and what we are as

How the ANC obstructs progress  

The ANC’s national dialogue initiative is a propaganda exercise which other political parties and civil society leaders should counter with workable solutions. Let’s explore why this is unlikely. Our ruling party has long been very effective at shaping our national

The tragic failure of independent Africa

“Look what’s happening in the north! Look what happens when the blacks take over!” In South Africa, in the 1960s, this is what I heard over and over again from white people, when I tried to argue for giving black