They were warned
Nicholas Lorimer and Terence Corrigan discuss how many of South Africa’s problems were easily avoidable if the government had made the right choices. They also
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What I miss about Joburg
Parts of me feel like an American refugee; ‘n verrraaier, even. At times, I feel as if I snuck off the battlefield early, leaving the rest of the troops behind to fend for themselves. I moved to Cape Town from
The end of USAID: a geopolitical blunder
In a Mozambican village, a clinic once bustling with USAID-funded nurses lies abandoned, its shelves bare of HIV drugs that sustained 389,000 lives. Nearby, Russian advisors broker deals with Maputo’s elite, securing stakes in the country’s $100 billion natural gas
Eyeless in Gaza
The reason that the current war in Gaza is so barbaric by modern standards, and the reason that it is leaving the modern world morally confused and paralysed, is because it is a religious war, but one being conducted by
Should the DA stay or should it go?
As South Africa grapples with the consequences of a weakened ANC, a volatile electorate, and rising populist threats, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) decision to remain in the Government of National Unity (GNU) remains strategically sound – for now. Through its
When online ID verification goes wrong
As censorial politicians charge down the slippery slope to puritanism, one site demonstrates why requiring online ID verification is dangerous. The ink had barely dried on my article about the pitfalls of online age verification, when Tea, a service that
The not so National Dialogue
In today's show, Makone Maja and Nicholas Lorimer discuss growing problems with the National Dialogue promoted by President Cyril Ramaphosa. They also discuss policing, and the IRR's winning the Atlas Network 2025 Africa Liberty award in Nairobi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR6bgXLQ8C0
Fixing education: what matters is what people actually know
A frequent refrain is that education is a primary driver of the economy. More education gives you the credentials to get a better job and the extra knowledge makes people more productive. The combined effect is a boost to economic
What happens when the political music stops in Malawi?
Malawians go to the polls on 16 September. It’s a country in perennial crisis, one made and exploited by its elites. The means to get out of it requires no miracles, but a clear, carefully prioritised strategy and a leadership