Rethinking the value of commissions
/ 13 March 2026

Rethinking the value of commissions

Any objective analysis must proceed from the premise that commissions of inquiry are not criminal courts. They neither prosecute nor sentence. Their constitutional purpose is to establish facts, identify systemic weaknesses and recommend structural changes

Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota, the family man
/ 10 March 2026

Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota, the family man

Like many of our struggle heroes, the many years he spent serving prison terms denied him a stable family life. This left his wife Cynthia, to raise their children largely alone as a single parent. He often expressed regret about not being present during his children’s upbringing and missing many of their important developmental milestones

Budget 2026: Between reform and reality
/ 27 February 2026

Budget 2026: Between reform and reality

South Africa has been given a narrow window to turn the ship around. Whether this Budget becomes a footnote or a foundation depends on what happens next — in Cabinet, in the SOEs, in municipalities and in the daily grind of governance

Seeking to profit from privatising prisons misses the point 
/ 25 February 2026

Seeking to profit from privatising prisons misses the point 

The only evidence Muller presents that “Prisons abroad are being run efficiently and humanely with much clearer accountability” are the examples of the GEO company and the unrelated privatisation of cemeteries. Let us be clear about GEO – it is an example of what we do not want our prisons to become

SA’s anti-corruption needle stalled
/ 20 February 2026

SA’s anti-corruption needle stalled

Over a decade after the Glenister judgments, it remains an indictment of the so-called post-state capture moment that we are not further along as a country in settling the institutional architecture required to reverse endemic corruption

Editorial: Tongaat Hulett must be saved
/ 20 February 2026

Editorial: Tongaat Hulett must be saved

At a time when rampant unemployment — one of the country’s biggest crises and a national emergency — takes root, the looming jobs bloodbath will decimate not only the sugar industry but also blight efforts to reduce jobless numbers and wreak havoc on the region’s food security