In the little death of democracy that is the finalisation of the secrecy Bill, there is a kernel of hope – an invigorated civil society.
Hysteria and paranoia. That is what leaders of the ANC and the SACP accuse the press of when concerns about threats to freedom of speech are raised.
If you were looking for moral clarity this week, the smoke-dimmed sunlight of the Cape winelands was not the place to find it.
A priority crimes litigation unit exists in the National Prosecuting Authority and has a mandate to prosecute apartheid-era human rights violators.
South African political language can be baffling, but the most recent utterances on "Nkandlagate" surely mark a new level of tortuous sophistry.
South Africans should be able to understand that what is legally permissible and what is wise or constructive are not the same.
Progress had been made on the Protection of State Information Bill. Not enough to render it safe for democracy, but progress nonetheless.
Does Cyril Ramaphosa have blood on his hands? That is the question being asked, and is far too glibly answered.
Politicians have had their frustrations with the courts and from time to time they have expressed them in terms that rightly give cause for concern.
President Jacob Zuma this week announced the first concrete measures aimed at bringing the violent illegal strikes that have flared up under control.