THE DESERT THAT POWERS A NATION
The Energy China Xinjiang Turpan Integrated Project, led by China Energy Construction Group Zhejiang Thermal Power Construction Co. Ltd., stands as one of China’s boldest demonstrations of renewable energy innovation. Combining concentrated solar power with wind generation, the project reflects a national commitment to building an energy system designed not only for today’s demands, but […]
BEYOND THE JOURNEY: LESSONS FROM XINJIANG
We often believe that travel is about discovering new places. In reality, the most meaningful journeys challenge the assumptions we carry long before we board the plane. They remind us that no headline, no documentary, and no second-hand opinion can ever replace the value of seeing a place through your own eyes. My recent visit […]
JUNE 16 AND THE BETRAYAL OF A GENERATION
![Hordes of students marching against the Bantu Education system and the use of Afrikaans as a medium in schools, during the June 16, 1976, Student Massacres / Soweto Uprisings [Image: GSMN]](https://gsmn.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soweto-uprising-2-1-1.jpg)
The mother of the nation, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela once brilliantly said: “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.” This is the sentiment that stands out when I think of the youth of 1976. Theirs was, and remains, one of the most profound sacrifices in our nation’s history. Yet today, it feels […]
DR KGOETE: FILLING THE GAPS OF A FAILING SYSTEM
South Africans of today have become accustomed to endless waiting — for almost everything. Waiting has become less of an inconvenience and more of a condition of life. Jobs, healthcare, housing, opportunity — all suspended in systems that are overstretched wholly inaccessible. Nowhere is this starker than in healthcare, where inequality determines not only quality […]
AFRICA IS NOT A DATA MINE: THE HIDDEN COST OF AID
Recently, Ghana outrightly rejected a proposed United States-backed health agreement over concerns about privacy, oversight and foreign access to sensitive national health data. According to reports, the deal would have allowed multiple US entities broad access to Ghana’s health information systems as part of a wider funding arrangement tied to healthcare support. Ghanaian authorities reportedly […]
A CURRICULUM BUILT ON ERASURE: RECLAIMING OUR BURIED HISTORY
![Indigenous knowledge systems integrated into modern curriculum - south africa history curriculum reform - school, education - image [linkedin]](https://gsmn.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1742898386729.png)
If you want to destroy a people, you start with their identity — because in identity lives memory, and in memory lives power. And that is exactly what history has always been: not just dates and events, but the story of who we are allowed to believe we are. For too long in South Africa, that […]
2026 ELECTION SEASON KICKS OFF WITH IEC’S LAUNCH OF NEW LOGO
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has fired the starting gun on the 2026 local government elections, unveiling a new official logo as it kicks off its national campaign. Revealed on 1 April 2026 at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, the branding marks the IEC’s first major move ahead of a tightly scheduled election calendar. […]
CHINESE NEW YEAR RECEPTION DISPLAYS AN EXCITING WAY OF LIFE THROUGH FOOD, SONG AND DANCE
It was a New Year’s celebration like no other: pomp and ceremony laced with the simplicity that displayed human love, camaraderie and fellowship as dozens of revellers from diverse backgrounds basked in the sunshine of a truly Chinese-style reception. Led by Amb Wu Peng, the Chinese embassy in South Africa held the New Year reception […]
HOLY HYPOCRISY: WHEN RELIGION FAILS THE PEOPLE
Last month, comedian-influencer Druski went viral for doing what almost no one else dares: mocking prosperity megachurch culture. In the now widely-circulated clip, he called out every ridiculous trait — pastors waving cash like holy water, private jets pitched in church parking lots, miracle claims delivered with award-winning theatrics, and worshippers exploited for their cash, […]
FEROCIOUS FLOODS SHOW OUR SYSTEMS’ BETRAYAL OF THE MOST VULNERABLE
![Flooding in the Kruger National Park, which straddles Limpopo and Mpumalanga. [Image: Inside Metros]](https://gsmn.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/flooding-.jpg)
We are just barely concluding the first month of the New Year, yet the magnitude of devastation that’s unfolded could span a lifetime. In a mere ten days, parts of South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini have been ravaged by an entire year’s worth of rain. The severe flooding has been merciless, killing over 100 […]
CHINA’S IMPRESSIVE “BYD” LAUNCHES BIGGEST STORE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Build Your Dreams, better-known as BYD – the famous Chinese automobile brand – has launched in South Africa’s financial capital, Sandton, in Johannesburg. Attended by a select group of key stakeholders, the new 4S dealership was buzzing with excitement over an array of exquisite high-tech vehicles that lay displayed on the magnificent shop floor in […]
MOROCCOS’S MELTDOWN: TANTRUMS, TOWEL WARS AND TAKING THE ‘L’
AFCON promised pageantry. What it delivered was drama so excessive it made reality TV look subtle. Truly, the Senegalese AFCON win unfolded like a storm in slow motion. Goals ruled out, penalties handed like surprise plot twists, players storming off, and a stadium caught somewhere between awe and disbelief. The world tuned in for sport […]