A nation’s soul is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. By this measure, South Africa stands on shaky ground, its promises of equality and justice faltering under the burden of inequality and neglect. The slogan ‘Not Yet Uhuru’ captures the unfulfilled promise of freedom—a dream deferred by systemic oppression and the indifference and complicity of those who should know better, black people themselves. How have we reached a point where black individuals and elite, themselves survivors of apartheid’s…

Academic Mary de Haas of UKZN has long studied the prevalence of violence and its intersectionalities in Natal. She examines the complex relationships between violence and other social, political, and economic factors within the provincial context. The Moerane Commission later confirmed that Glebelands, townships, municipalities and taxi ranks are killing fields. Although the Moerane Report has been widely criticised for not being implemented effectively, it remains crucial for understanding the root causes of political violence in the province. Many reports…

In the 1970s, Capital owners, led by the Randlords under Oppenheimer, initiated a political strategy to protect their economic interests amidst growing discontent from the black majority. Despite clashing with apartheid’s segregation, the Randlords’ economic power steered the path to the ‘political miracle’ of 1994. They foresaw the need for a strategic shift to maintain economic control while appeasing international pressure, engaging in behind-the-scenes negotiations, lobbying and forming alliances to influence favourable political outcomes. The Randlords’ interventions mastered a ‘soft’…