Shelley Garland-ing the literary world
There’s a lot going on in the literary world – but you might not know it if you attended the most recent South African literary festival.
The unconstitutionality – and economic folly – of Treasury’s proposed exchange control rules
The Treasury wants to replace its 1961 exchange control rules with new regulations to control capital flows. Its primary objective, however, is to bring bitcoin and other crypto currencies under state control.
Ruth and the refugees
With the Jewish holiday of Shavuot beginning at sundown today, the Jews have been reading about the giving of the ten commandments.
What’s happening to the FW de Klerk Foundation?
The reformer FW de Klerk left politics having secured for South Africa a constitutional federation and commitment to non-racialism, which the political elite began breaching before the ink on the Constitution was dry. Why, then, has his presidential foundation come out swinging in favour of unitarism and race law?
Laying track for fast growth
Making an economy grow fast is like making a train go fast, and it depends on getting three things right: a powerful engine, a smooth track pointed in the right direction, and low friction along the way.
Two sides of the same coin: Trump, Mamdani, the extremism we excuse
Liberal democracies have become highly skilled at recognising the extremism they were historically organised to oppose. They are far less comfortable confronting forms of extremism that speak the language of liberation, justice, and historical grievance.
No blacks allowed, say Musk and Walsh
The casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in an upcoming film has sent the white right into a righteous fury.
The future of the Constitution in SA
In post-colonial African states, the new or “liberation” constitutions tend to be torn up, thrown away or up-ended via radical amendment.
Common sense more humane than compassion: Milei and Bukele and what the policy elite misses
There are few things more dangerous than a noble idea wrapped in good intentions that fails to match human reality.
SANDF, the ANC’s employment force
Thirty years ago, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) existed for one primary reason: to defend the Republic, it’s people and territorial integrity against external threats and, if necessary, fight and win wars on behalf of the state. That was its constitutional purpose, its strategic justification. Everything else was secondary.