After the departure of Nelson Mandela, where is this unity we talk about? On the day of Tata's memorial the world was watching. It was a day where South Africans from different backgrounds, through the rain, walked, drove, took buses, trains and taxis to Soccer City to witness the memorial of an African hero.
Axolile Notywala
Opinion | 12 December 2013
I was born the day before Madiba's release from prison. Most of what I know about him I was told by my parents or I learnt at school. I never met him. Nevertheless, the way he shared his life made it feel as if I knew him personally.
Nwabisa Pondoyi
Opinion | 12 December 2013
In his 2004 Nelson Mandela lecture Desmond Tutu bravely suggested that an âuncritical, sycophantic, obsequious conformityâ constituted a threat to democracy in South Africa. He said that âtoo many are foolhardy and opt for silence to become voting cattle for the party.â
Doron Isaacs
Opinion | 12 December 2013
Iqbal Survè, whose company Sekunjalo now owns Independent Newspapers, is not merely a profoundly disingenuous man. He has shown that he's willing to use his newly acquired media empire to support his disingenuity.
Nathan Geffen, GroundUp Editor
Opinion | 11 December 2013
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuâs controversial decision not to attend Nelson Mandelaâs funeral and to send Yuli Edelstein who is the current Speaker of the Knesset and a settler, is not only disgraceful, but has sent a clear message to the world that Netanyahu is a âleaderâ of the worst kind.
Shuaib Manjra
Opinion | 11 December 2013
The Independent Newspaper Group (INL) is in considerable turmoil following the effective sacking without notice of the editor of the Cape Times, Alide Desnois, by the putative owner of INL, Iqbal Surve. This bodes ill for the group and poses a possible threat to media freedom.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 9 December 2013
South Africa came very close to civil war in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but instead of a bloodbath there was the negotiated settlement, also known as the âmiracleâ. In fact parts of the country were in a state of civil war, and the miracle is that it didnât engulf the country.
Doron Isaacs
Opinion | 9 December 2013
Frightening memories of the 16-year-long civil war have reignited in the minds of Mozambicans as tensions between RENAMO and FRELIMO reach a new high.
Fabio da Graca
Opinion | 3 December 2013
While there are significant unmet health needs in many parts of South Africa, they are particularly acute in historically disadvantaged rural areas.
Tom Yates
Opinion | 3 December 2013
One element lacking in the current debates about what is going on in Cosatu is any sense of recent history. Because there is nothing really new in the current spate of political bloodletting, in the bitterness and the backstabbing.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 2 December 2013
Untested nonsense medicines and adverts to buy them are prolific. But after years of chaos in the alternative medicine market, it seems the Department of Health (DOH) is intent on fixing the mess.
Kevin Charleston
Opinion | 26 November 2013
Politics stinks. These days in South Africa, this is a fairly common view. But, in the North West province in recent months, the expression has had a very real resonance.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 26 November 2013
The bell rings for break time, triggering a mad rush for the toilet. Many learners wonât make it in time. After all, âhow do you expect 550 boys to share six toilets ⌠when there is only one break?â
Brad Brockman
Opinion | 26 November 2013
Fudging and delay. That was what emerged from last weekâs eagerly awaited Cosatu press conference. As a result, the questions about the future of suspended general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and the prospect of a Special National Congress (SNC) remained unanswered.
Terry Bell
Opinion | 25 November 2013
It is two years since the first authoring of the National Development Plan (NDP), and over a year since the delivery of the revised plan by the National Planning Commission (NPC). To speed up progress, we must stop squabbling over which parts of it to implement and focus initially on education and labour-intensive industries.
Ayal Belling
Opinion | 21 November 2013
Jack Lewis explains how we can quickly make radical improvements to primary school education.
Jack Lewis.
Opinion | 18 November 2013