Holding the Country to Ransom: The Rise and Impact of Extortion in South Africa

Never let a good crisis go to waste, isn’t that what they say? Since 1994, democratic South Africa has been trying to systematically address the countless social and economic consequences of Apartheid. In many communities, success in these areas is evident – there is a growing black middle class, increased employment, and vastly improved provision of services and housing to millions of people.

South Africa’s Construction Mafia – Building a Legacy of Corruption

Italy’s mafia evolved from small private armies, or mafie, hired by absentee landlords to protect their estates from the bandits who thrived in Sicily’s largely lawless conditions. They quickly became so big and so powerful they bit the hand that once fed them, turning on the landowners and extorting more and more money from them.
It's not a dissimilar tale to the mafia-style groups plaguing South Africa right now.

Stronger Together - Lessons from Rugby for Leadership, Teamwork and Resilience

In the fiercely competitive world of sports, rugby, and specifically the legendary South African Springbok rugby team, serves as an awe-inspiring testament to the enduring values of teamwork, leadership, and resilience.

Integrity And Hard Work Is The Solution For South Africa - There Is No Plan B

South Africa stands at a crossroads, a nation marked by stark inequalities, historical scars, and a litany of challenges. Yet, there's an undeniable resilience and potential that courses through its veins, one that can rewrite the story of this land.  However, amid the chaos, a glimmer of hope beckons.The heroes are not just in the boardrooms and courtrooms; they're in our workplaces, communities, and everyday lives.

Journalists Are Now The Thin Blue Line Between Us And Anarchy

The truth about the Marikana Massacre would never have been known if it weren’t for journalists. In the tireless investigation, a brave team of researchers captained by Kate Alexander and journalist Greg Marinovich laid bare the truth.
It’s been a decade since 34 miners were unceremoniously gunned down on a hill by Lonmin’s platinum mine near Rustenburg, in what has gone down in history as the “Marikana Massacre”.
 

Eskom 2.0 – Setting Us Up for (Yet) Another Fall

Not many people would argue that Eskom is a catastrophe that, instead of contributing to the development of our country, costs us billions of Rands every day.
One would think the solution lies in incentivising investment in alternate energy sources such as wind and solar.
Instead, the proposal currently on the table is the creation of a second state owned power utility – Eskom 2.0.
Fear not – you are not the only incredulous one.
 

Is Twitter The Biggest Porn Site In The World?

The South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) recently released a report outlining measures to reduce the risk of exposure – accidental or intentional – to adult material online by children. 
The most worrying of these is that none of the proposed regulations apply to social media – specifically sites like Twitter and Reddit.
The problem is that social media sites and search engines are viewed as “ancillary service providers.” As such, adult content found on social media is not defined as “online commercial pornography” and is therefore exempt from having to adhere to the new age-verifiction legislation proposals. The best that governments can do is ask these sites to take action against those who don’t comply with general content guidelines. But if none is actually taken, there’s nothing the Powers That Be can currently do to penalise them.