No country for honest men

By Mzukisi Makatse First published on Politicsweb OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA Dear President Ramaphosa, I am an ordinary citizen of no particular significance except for my love and commitment to a functional South Africa and its people. As a result of my ordinary status, I understand that this letter and its contents may Read more >

Duduzane Zuma’s arrest a result of many contributions

By David Lewis First published in the Sunday Times Reading Jacques Paauw’s The President’s Keepers, I discerned two wings of the Zuma family’s commercial empire. The first could be described as their ‘business’ interests with the Guptas as their primary, if not exclusive, partners. Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane exercised oversight of these family interests. The Read more >

Africa’s whistle-blowers: ‘All I did was tell the truth’

By Olivier Piot Translated by Charles Goulden First published in The Nation South African president Jacob Zuma resigned in February 2018 over the biggest corruption scandal since the end of apartheid, which involved both the president and his son. Zuma’s exit became inevitable last June, after the publication of thousands of confidential documents revealing that Read more >

Whistle-blower ousted while accused principal remains

When wrong-doers are protected, whistle-blowers are often the ones who end up being punished, while the culprit smugly carries on with their shenanigans. So it was in the case of the misbehaving principal vs the school governing body (SGB) of Walter Sisulu Primary School in Olivenhoutbosch, Centurion. Gauteng Education MEC Payaza Lesufi went on national Read more >

SA’s state office bearers must keep moral compass steady

By David Lewis First published in Business Day Given that burgeoning corruption was the principal basis for removing the Zuma government, progress on this front features prominently in the assessments of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first 100 days in office. Short-term gains in tackling corruption are important and, some disappointments notwithstanding, the new administration has done Read more >

A nation’s fight against corruption and injustice

By Kavisha Pillay First published on News24 Time is constant; it is represented through change. Time is a concept that we usually take for granted – we believe that it will always be there, that we will always have enough of it, and that there will always be more. Unfortunately, ours is a country where Read more >

Looking back, looking ahead

By Mavuso Msimang First published in City Press “O tempora! O mores!” Attributed to Cicero, the illustrious Roman philosopher and statesman who was greatly admired for his humanism, this lament literally translates into “Oh the times! Oh the customs!” It couldn’t be more appropriate for South Africa today. Cicero was commenting on the viciousness and Read more >

Zuma corruption trial: will his lawyers appeal?

By Pierre de Vos First published on Constitutionally Speaking We all know that when former President Jacob Zuma said many years ago that he wanted his day in court so that he can answer allegations that he is guilty of racketeering, corruption, money laundering and fraud, he was not being honest. Instead his lawyers have Read more >

Parents, guardians must partake in SGB elections

By Lucky Menoe First published on News24 It is early on a Saturday morning in late November 2017 as I arrive at Pendla Primary School in the Eastern Cape township of New Brighton to find that it is the latest victim in a series of school burglaries in the area. A computer and several packs Read more >