What southern Africa can learn from other countries about adapting to drought
Rainfall in South Africa is naturally highly variable with total amount of precipitation very different between years and across the country.
The lack of a succession plan has left Morgan Tsvangirai’s party in disarray
The absence of a party leader and a clear succession path often leads to political parties losing political direction.
Efforts to get South Africa’s economy moving are no more than a patch up job
Its obvious that the South African government approached the 2018 budget from an extremely tight spot and with limited options.
Africa needs to invest more in its water professionals
The African continent is disproportionately affected by extreme climate. Droughts or floods are becoming more frequent.
Thinking of taking a walk everyday? Six reasons why it’s good for you
South Africa’s new president Cyril Ramaphosa has been the talk of social media with his early morning walking routine.
The Ramaphosa presidency: constraints and choices
As one watches the unfolding of the Cyril Ramaphosa presidency one sees the care taken in preparing almost every gesture and presentation that he has made.
Multilingualism must be celebrated as a resource, not a problem
February ought to be a joyful month for South African languages. It’s been declared “language activism month” by the Pan South African Languages Board, a constitutionally established body tasked with the promotion and development of the 11 official languages, as well as those recognised for religious and cultural purposes.
Fix monitoring and evaluation for better service delivery
The appointment of the new local government minister is a cause for optimism. However, Zweli Mkhize needs to recognise that the problems faced by municipalities in SA — which result in poor service delivery and led to 173 municipal service delivery protests in 2017 — are systemic.
The role of NGOs in Africa: are they a force for good?
Non-governmental organisations have become key actors in responding to poverty and related suffering.
Nomzamo from Bizana: remembering Winnie Madikizela as a young woman
Within hours of Winnie Madikizela’s death debates about her life began to rage.
Zuma must ‘go back to Robben Island’
Former president Jacob Zuma must be jailed if convicted of corruption, ANC veteran Andrew Mlangeni has said.
New labour legislation to ‘hurt workers, split unions’
Unions with the ANC see the new laws as a victory but Saftu is resisting those laws and it will lead to further splits, an analyst says.
South Africa’s print media is failing to empower citizens on corruption
The mainstream media can play an important role in fighting corruption.
Why Nigeria is not prepared to deal with flooding
Numerous rivers criss-cross the length and breadth of Nigeria, running both east-west and north-south.
Capturing the Soweto Uprising: South Africa’s most iconic photograph lives on
Sam Nzima, the photographer who captured the iconic image of the 1976 Soweto Uprising passed awayon May 12, 2018.
South Africa’s Cape Rockjumper numbers are falling and we’re not sure why
The Cape Rockjumper (Chaetops frenatus) is a bird found only high in the mountains of south-western South Africa - and its days may be numbered.
Fossil find offers first evidence of four-legged aquatic ancestors in Africa
Some of our ancestors had four legs, a finned tail and lived in water.
Why it’s good news that Swahili is coming to South African schools
Kiswahili will, from 2020, become the latest language to be taught in South Africa’s classrooms.
Land claims in South Africa: it’s about the meaning of the land, not just money
Land distribution and people’s access to land have always been high on the political agenda in South Africa.
University writing groups provide an unexpected space for change
In a seminal paper on what constitutes quality in education, scholars Lee Harvey and Diana Green argue that a “quality education” is one in which a student experiences a “personal transformation” as a result of enhancing and empowering mechanisms.
Scene is set for interesting contest in Zimbabwe’s upcoming poll
Zimbabweans are heading to the polls on July 30.
Informal economies are diverse: South African policies need to recognise this
South Africa is currently mulling over ideas and agreements that recently came out of a two-day jobs summit.
South African journalism’s problems are bigger than ethics: they’re about ethos
When the editor of the Sunday Times in South Africa, Bongani Siqoko, published an apology in the newspaper earlier this month he surely set a new precedent in the country’s journalism.
