Creator
William Gumede
William Gumede is an associate professor in the School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand and author of South Africa in BRICS: Salvation or Ruination? (Tafelberg).
Ramifications of an ANC electoral decline
A potential drop in ANC support during the 2026 local government elections could fundamentally shift the balance of power within the Government of National Unity, elevating the…
The forgotten ANC poet-activist who warned the party about power
Long before the ANC took power in South Africa, activist-poet and lawyer Munzhedzi 'Zorro' Ramovha foresaw the dangers of liberation leaders succumbing to corruption, arrogance,…
Councils cannot keep dodging Eskom bill
With municipal debt to Eskom exceeding R120 billion, sustainable recovery requires treating indebted municipalities as financially distressed, enabling direct interventions and…
Knox Chitiyo: Leading African Scholar
Tributes pour in for Zimbabwean-born academic and international security expert Tapera Knox Chitiyo, who has passed away at the age of 65.
The ANC is losing its grip from within
The ANC's failure to register local government election candidates exposes deep factional paralysis and administrative incompetence under Cyril Ramaphosa's waning authority.
Zhu Rongji: The former no-nonsense premier who helped save China from economic collapse
Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, the "economic czar" who steered China toward a market economy, overhauled state enterprises, and secured its WTO entry, has died at the age of…
Legacy Foundations Impact
As South Africa's political landscape faces challenges from declining party leadership and a lack of evidence-based policy, legacy political foundations are emerging as critical…
RW Johnson dies, still inimical to the post-1994 dispensation
Richard William (RW) Johnson, a leading South African liberal public intellectual, journalist, analyst, and academic, has passed away at his home in Cape Town. Known for his…
Many African leaders would do well to follow UK Keir Starmer’s lead in resigning
Former British prime minister Keir Starmer resigned less than two years into his term after failing to deliver on key promises. This article argues his departure sets an example…
Coalition Governments Blueprints
As South Africa transitions into an era of coalition governance, moving away from one-party domination, the Dutch model of consensus-based coalition government, with its emphasis…
Reflecting on xenophobia in South Africa
Some of the influx into South Africa of migrants from failing African countries has been self-inflicted by the ANC government. In its long-standing foreign policy, the party has…
Use BEE to resource civil society
The policy must be remodelled to become broad-based, helping make community organisations and social enterprises its core beneficiaries rather than political elites and their…
Ramaphosa’s Constitutional Court dilemma
Ramaphosa’s decision to pursue a judicial review and the Constitutional Court’s call for Parliament to start an impeachment inquiry, will create tensions in the GNU
South Africa must end megaphone foreign policies
As multilateralism ends, the post-Cold War rules and international organisations such as the United Nations fracture, the world will increasingly see hybrid wars – such as mini…
Voter education made easy
All voter education must include democratic civic education, an understanding of key aspects of democracy, including the Constitution, human rights, democratic moral values,…