IMPERFECT AS HE IS, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EFFORTS TOWARD PEACE ARE COMMENDABLE
US President Donald Trump attracts avalanches of international scrutiny for all the right reasons – he is after all the commander-in-chief of the world’s most potent army and presides over an economy with significant global influence. Washington’s penchant for a cantankerous foreign policy that is replete with unpredictability is also an added reason to the […]
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE A MICKEY MOUSE AND A FORMER SHADOW OF ITSELF
We must all agree, our military is a no longer our pride but mockery. We must pause and remember the words of Lieutenant General Ntshavheni Maphaha of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) that we “are unable to wield a stick”, we are not protected and “the politicians, have decided you want a Mickey […]
WHO BENEFITS FROM ZELENSKY’S VISIT?
What is the essence of a foreign policy that does not rally the nation around a common goal, and instead divides the populace right down the middle, leaving a bitter taste and uncertainty? The visit by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to our capital this week has caused a much greater harm to the national […]
AFRICA MUST UNSHACKLE ITSELF FROM THE CHAINS OF BUREAUCRACY TO THRIVE
Mother Africa is pregnant with possibilities — abundant natural resources, a young and dynamic population, expanding digital connectivity, and untapped markets that, if harnessed, could turn the continent into a global economic powerhouse. But these opportunities will remain a mirage unless we confront a painful, inconvenient truth: Africa is making it far too difficult to do business. Everywhere […]
SADC EXPORTERS MUST UNLOCK NEW MARKETS TO SURVIVE THE TARIFF TSUNAMI
As the world continues to grapple with shifting global alliances and protectionist trade policies — triggered in part by the lasting ripple effects of Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs — the Southern African Development Community (SADC) finds itself at a crossroads. With traditional export markets becoming more volatile, regional exporters must begin charting a new path: one that prioritizes […]
FAREWELL TO A MAN OF INTEGRITY
On 14 March 2025 many of us gathered at one of the Johannesburg cemeteries to bury a South African whom many speakers hailed as a person of integrity, who dedicated his life to the betterment of his fellow human beings. This was the businessman, Khomotso Jacob ‘Bobby’ Makwetla, who, among other engagements, was a distinguished […]
DIRCO’S MINISTER LAMOLA IN SUDAN FOR THE C5 MINISTERIAL VISIT
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, has arrived in Juba, South Sudan, leading a South African government delegation. This visit comes at a crucial time following the decision by the parties to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution to the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to extend the mandate of the […]