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Ethics

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Ubuntu must guide artificial intelligence before artificial intelligence guides us

As artificial intelligence reshapes South African society, the ethical philosophy of Ubuntu must serve as the moral compass to ensure technology advances human dignity rather…

Unchecked: The Madlanga commission in session. What happens to a system when the people entrusted with power stop being restrained by ethics and nobody notices until it's too late? Photo: Screenshot

The heritage we choose to leave

A year after the Madlanga commission began exposing collusion within South Africa's justice system, advocate Ilene Power reflects on how unchecked power corrodes institutions and…

Count them: Special Investigating Unit head Andy Mothibi. (Paul Botes)

Lifestyle Audits: Building integrity, restoring trust and strengthening the State

Lifestyle audits in the Public Service are playing a significant role in preventing misconduct and safeguarding public resources. This strategy moves beyond arrests and…

Image courtesy of Pexels

Trust: The Most Valuable Thing We Give Away for Free

Explore the profound role of trust in our daily lives, from personal interactions to societal institutions. This article delves into the 'Trust Deficit', the distinction between…

Responsible journalism matters

In today's digital age, the language used in journalism profoundly shapes public understanding. Recent anti-illegal immigration marches in South Africa have highlighted the…

When Mthombeni, the AI spouse, ‘kills’: Law and the limits of human–robot intimacy

Explore the complex legal and ethical dilemmas when an AI-driven social robot causes harm, as seen through a thought experiment where an AI spouse 'kills'. South African criminal…

Pope Leo is calling upon our African youth to be more vigilant about AI’s risks to humanity, to use it responsibly and institute AI governance tenets to avoid getting lost in agendas of transhumanism and post-humanism.

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: What Pope Leo XIV’s theological document about AI means to Africa’s Gen Z

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," released in May 2025, is sparking global debate. This theological document, a new social doctrine of the Catholic Church,…

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play an engaged couple on shaky ground in ‘The Drama’.

‘The Drama’: A dark comedy about thought, guilt, and perception

A pre-wedding confession spirals into paranoia and hilarity, as The Drama probes how our hidden thoughts reshape love, trust, and identity.

Dysfunctional: Infrastrccture failure and lack of repair and upgrade, seen on a road at a taxi rank in Emfuleni. The muicipality is in a complete state of failure. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Only God can save municipalities as collapse deepens

With only 16% of municipalities passing audits, South Africans face failing water systems, roads and governance. The coming elections test not only politics but morality,…

Graphic: John McCann

Fighting corruption in local government needs systems, not saints

Condemning fraud and trying to inculcate ethics won’t change things; it requires redesigning the very systems that enable malfeasance

Artificial intelligence used with intention, inclusivity and oversight improve healthcare and education, as well as mitigate the effects of climate change. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

AI can advance the sustainable development goals – if used ethically

With visionary leadership, ethical stewardship and strategic collaboration, artificial intelligence can help us leapfrog old limitations and create a more just, prosperous and…

Too often politicians talk about ‘our people’, yet seem not to care deeply.

We need a values-based, not an ‘out of sight out-of mind’ leadership in South Africa

A values-based, empathetic and compassionate leadership style is necessary to address issues such as poverty and inequality

US President Donald Trump. (File photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The seven manifestations of Trumpism

To counter its destructiveness, we must apply an ethics of shared vulnerability that fosters a new and fairer global order

The former president of Burkina Faso showed us that it is possible to cultivate political virtues for ethical politics. (Kambou Sia/AFP)

Follow Thomas Sankara’s example and put the ‘servant’ back into public servant

The former president of Burkina Faso showed us that it is possible to cultivate political virtues for ethical politics

Heart of stone: Dumisani Mbebe plays Don Bhengu in season two of the TV series Savage Beauty. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

Savage Beauty back with a vengeance

The second season of the series offers an expanded cast and more corporate dark deeds