Freedom of the Press vs Freedom to Oppress: Protecting the People’s Right to Know

Africa has a dismal press freedom record.Thankfully, although South Africa can never pretend to be the poster child for democracy, press freedom is one thing we seem to have got right in our post-Apartheid years – it’s even enshrined in our constitution.However, we all know that it’s one thing to set down these ideals on paper, and another thing entirely to ensure they’re upheld in practice.

Youth Dividend or Ticking Time-Bomb

Many wave the entrepreneurship flag as the miracle cure-all for our unemployment crisis, but in South Africa, we have one of the highest start-up failure rates in the world, with 70 – 80% of start-ups failing in the first 5 years.
So, here’s the all-important question:
What do our failing education system, lack of employment opportunities and dismal entrepreneurial record have in common?
They are all symptoms of a serious disease – corruption.

The Many Faces of White-Collar Crime

South Africa’s history abounds with fraudulent and exploitative practices by those in positions of power abound. In the 1870s as diamond mining gained momentum in Kimberley, the so-called ‘diamond fields’ fraud’ saw ‘dodgy’ characters "salting" diamond mines, which involved planting diamonds in low-yield mines to deceive potential investors and buyers. Here are a few familiar faces of white-collar crime in South Africa.

When Tragedy Becomes Triumph

In the middle of June, after a massive search and rescue operation involving over 200 military and Indigenous rescuers with search dogs, four children, aged 13, nine, four and just 11 months, were found alive in the dense Amazon jungle in Colombia. They had survived on their own for 5 weeks after the plane in which they were travelling crashed.
 

How Can We Save South Africa’s Ship from Sinking?

SARS stats show that over the past five years, more than 40,500 taxpayers have ended their tax residency in South Africa. 
Every year we lose hundreds of healthcare workers, teachers, accountants and other professionals. 
Tony Healy, a labour consultant, believes most skilled people leave South Africa because of crime, security, corruption, an incompetent government, and a deteriorating outlook for the country.

The ANC Integrity Commission. Agent for Change or Shameless Electioneering?

The ANC has said it believes the Integrity Commission will play a crucial role in sanitising the ANC’s image leading up to the 2024 elections. This is interesting, as its main function should surely be to find and prosecute government officials guilty of corruption, fraud and other wrongdoings.
I

Is Eskom Too Big To Fail?

PetroSA charges Eskom around R1 per litre more than it costs you and me to buy diesel from our local petrol station.
Eskom has previously tried to obtain a wholesale diesel licence from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy which would save around R4 billion a year. This application was denied
You just can’t make this stuff up.
 

Don’t Try To Be Perfect - The Cracks Are What Allow The Light To Get In

It is all fine and well to complain about the 'cracks' in this country, but complaining does not solve the problems. Thankfully, many incredible people in South Africa have done and are continuing to do, amazing things – despite the cracks and crevasses.

We Fear In Detail But Our Hope Is Vague

Paul Valèry, a French poet born in 1871, said that we are able to articulate our fears in detail, but our hope is vague. The reason is; fear is evidence-based and we feel it more keenly. We have seen and experienced the atrocities of this world to fill us with utter and complete fear.
Hope, on the other hand, is based on a dream and asks us to believe in those things that have not yet come to pass.
 

Riding the South African Heatwave - Is South Africa Too Hot To Handle?

I’m no rap artist, but it has to be said: Things are looking so grim in South Africa right now the phrase “drop it like it’s hot” is ringing in my ears. 
We are staring down the barrel of another hard year of loadshedding, interest rate hikes, escalating cost of living, and rampant corruption and fraud. Not to mention the odd bit of corporate poisoning to spice things up a little.