Reflecting on the bravery of whistle-blowers

By Thato Mahlangu Justice for some whistle-blowers seems like an unlikely dream. As we marked World Whistle-blower Day on 23 June 2020, one of our own is in pain in a hospital, in the Eastern Cape, after suffering years of abuse at the hands of police while fighting for genuine concerns which have been raised Read more >

Zuma’s day in court finally rolls around

Now that the inevitable can’t be put off any longer, former president Jacob Zuma is making a show of impatience for the start of his corruption trial. Zuma has been ducking and diving accountability for years in what has been referred to as a classic Stalingrad defence, but now that his options have run out, Read more >

Refugees’ rights must be respected

• A painting by Gunduz Aghayev depicts Aylan Kurdi playing on the sand. Image: Gunduz Aghayev By Thato Mahlangu Millions of people continue to be displaced in different parts of the world. A 2019 global trends survey by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) reveals how at least 100-million people were forced to flee their Read more >

Poor planning a factor in food parcel corruption

By Thato Mahlangu Accountability is in short supply for the widely publicised allegations of food parcel corruption, despite the abundance of videos circulating on social media that seem to indicate the complicity of certain individuals. Since the start of the lockdown, almost three months ago, the economy has nosedived and millions of families have been Read more >

The poor are hungry as wrangle rages on

• Bags of maize meal being handed out to members of the public in KwaZulu-Natal. Image: Tebogo Letsie/City Press. By Janine ErasmusFirst published by City Press South Africa is still a country of inequality, and the Covid-19 coronavirus-enforced lockdown has intensified the deep divisions in our society. On one hand, there are people stuck in Read more >

Marikana caught in politicised food parcels storm

Image: Sabeehah Motala By Valencia Talane A community in Marikana, Rustenburg, in the North West is learning the hard way the cost of being poor and not politically connected during the Covid-19 lockdown. They are caught up in a political storm that is costing them the most urgent need, food. And a ward councillor in Read more >

ConCourt judgment: How does this change politics as we know it?

By Lizeka Tandwa and Jan Gerber First published on News24 Following the Constitutional Court ruling on Thursday, Parliament could adopt the local government system in provincial and national elections, political analysts and a constitutional law expert predict. The landmark judgment, delivered by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will see independent candidates competing in the elections, even without Read more >

Cele cleared of wrongdoing by court, PP’s report set aside

By Thato Mahlangu The public protector’s 2018 report, which found police minister Bheki Cele to have ‘failed’ to protect two whistle-blowers, was declared invalid by the Gauteng North High Court last Wednesday. Cele had taken the report under judicial review. The court also cleared Cele of wrongdoing when it found that his department is not Read more >