Ubuntu or Smoke and Mirrors

To much of the world, and, perhaps, to some of our more optimistic citizens, our country projects a dazzling, powerful image - a thriving democracy, rich with resources and governed by people committed to improving the lives of the millions of people who used their hard-won votes to place them in this position of trust.Sadly, the reality could not be more different. Modern South Africa is a nation built on the lofty ideal of Ubuntu, a value system championing a communal ethos over individualism. It promotes the ideals of shared humanity, compassion and kindness, restorative justice and collective responsibility.At its core, Ubuntu celebrates the well-being of the group over the selfishinterests of individuals.Yet, when you look around you at the country we live in today, Ubuntu is conspicuous by its absence. In fact, it increasingly feels like we’re the unwilling cast in a tragically ironic stage play that mirrors the tale of the Wizard of Oz. Click below to read the full article. https://lnkd.in/dWiDvsSA

Questioning Authority Is Your Constitutional Right

The security officer held up his pack of mini cable ties like she'd just discovered a bomb."These are prohibited."He looked at the tiny plastic strips in her hand. The same ones he uses to secure his checked luggage on every flight, and he flies a lot. The same ones you can buy at any hardware store for R20."Can you show me where they're on the prohibited list?"Her face hardened. "You need to trust me. They're prohibited."This is where it always starts. Someone with a uniform and a checklist deciding they know better than the actual rules. And when you dare to question them, you become the problem.Click the link to read the full articlehttps://lnkd.in/dQSGgqVa

Surviving Matric Madness - The Real Risks No One Talks About

If you’re the parent of a child currently in Matric, I don’t need to tell you what a rollercoaster of emotions the next few weeks create.
Final exams are just around the corner, and 12 years of formal schooling are almost over. It’s a rite of passage most children in South Africa go through and is often described as the most significant milestone in their academic journey.
Matric is the gateway to every child’s future, paving the way for a world of exciting opportunities and future careers. But without that vital certificate, university and college are off the table, and all but the most menial jobs are out of reach.
Expectations are immense, and failure doesn’t bear thinking about.
With so much riding on the next few weeks, all Matric pupils will feel anxious and stressed at this time. Some, however, feel it more than most, and the statistics on Matric-related anxiety and depression are hugely concerning.
Click below to read the full article:
https://lnkd.in/g9fgK9Sb

When Ideological Disagreement Becomes A Death Sentence

The single gunshot that ended Charlie Kirk's life on September 10, 2025, echoed far beyond the campus of Utah Valley University. It marked another incident in a documented pattern of increasing ideological violence, where disagreement over social and cultural issues has escalated to lethal action.Kirk, 31, was doing what he had done hundreds of times before. He was engaging with students, answering questions, defending his viewpoints on social, cultural, and political issues in the kind of open debate that democracy requires. Twenty minutes into his speech, a bullet fired from 130 meters away struck him in the neck. He died at the hospital, leaving behind a wife, two young children, and a nation grappling with a fundamental question: When did ideological disagreement become a death sentence?Click the link to read the full article:https://lnkd.in/d-eWbwcT

A Formidable Force. Remembering Former Judge Willem Heath

Willem Heath's son, Marius, reflected on the many tributes that have poured in for his late father.
“Being a pioneer in [our] government’s anti-corruption architecture and in the early life of our democracy…being the peoples’ judge. That is one of the most beautiful things ever bestowed upon him,” he said. “My father would have been greatly humbled by the recognition.”

Underage And Underground – The Plight Of Africa’s Child Miners

Robbed of their childhoods and forced into child labour, children are unwilling warriors in the fight against generational poverty. Almost a third of African children are physically and mentally underdeveloped. In Sub-Saharan Africa, one in 11 children will die before their 5th birthday.

The Stolen Billions. Imagine The Suffering This Money Could Have Relieved!

One and a half TRILLION Rand. That’s how much South Africa lost to corruption in just five years, from 2014 to 2019.
And yet, as eye-watering as that figure is, it’s only the proverbial tip of the ship-sinking iceberg formed by corruption, “irregular expenditure,” theft and general mismanagement.

Rising Above The Storm: South Africa's Fight Against Financial Crime

Picture a nation where criminals operate with near impunity, where sophisticated syndicates extort millions through kidnappings, and where the guardians of justice are overwhelmed and underfunded. This isn't the plot of a crime novel; it's the reality facing South Africa today.
Experts paint a stark picture: South Africa has exceptionally low conviction rates for even the most heinous violent crimes.

Does Eskom Need A R280 000 Mop to Clean Up Its Act?

Is it just me or is anyone else more than a little dizzy from the eternal going-round-in-circles mode of doing business that Eskom seems bent on clinging to?
Eskom must be one of the only businesses in the world that wants you to use less of its product and then whinges when you do. 

The Lasting Legacy of Pravin Gordhan

South Africa’s recent history – particularly since 1994 – has been shaped by the vision, hard work and passion of many committed individuals. Our Public Enterprises and former Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, was one such person. His recent passing, just months after his retirement at the end of May, has left our entire country – and, I would venture to guess, many others throughout the rest of the world - supremely saddened.