Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader John Steenhuisen’s claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa represented himself when he described Russian Leader Vladimir Putin as South Africa’s “valuable ally” are “silly” and show that the party is still pursuing the apartheid government’s foreign policy. According to Andre Thomashausen, a Professor Emeritus of International and Comparative Law at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the former Head of the university’s Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law, Steenhuisen’s assertions also proved that South Africa’s…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a “valuable ally and a friend” who supported him when South Africa entered uncharted waters after the May general elections. He told Putin he had formed the Government of National Unity (GNU) with several opposition parties to stabilise South Africa politically after the governing African National Congress received 40% of the national vote. Putin was widely expected to use the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, to show the world…

The recent resignation of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu is a cause for concern, sparking worries about the party’s future and its potential impact on African unity and Pan-Africanism in South Africa.  My concern is that Shivambu’s departure may not only weaken the EFF but also hinder efforts toward unity at a crucial time for the country and the continent. This country cannot afford to have a destabilized EFF. The party’s presence and participation in the political…

ACTIONSA President Herman Mashaba has denounced President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), saying his party would never join it because it would mean working with a “criminal ANC”, and a “dishonest and arrogant” Democratic Alliance (DA) which pays lip service to the fight against corruption.   The former Joburg mayor said the DA joined forces with the governing party because it wanted power, positions and “to control the ANC” rather than serve the people of South Africa.  In a…

Following the ANC’s underwhelming election performance, South Africa is currently embroiled in a gruesome process of coalition-building. Although this is not necessarily a new problem as it is often portrayed, there was ample time to develop rules and guidelines seeing huge problems the coalition created at the local government level. However, the primary concern now is how political parties are approaching the task of forging working relationships, whether they term them as coalitions or as a ‘government of national unity’…

After a two-week delay marred by frosty talks between his governing ANC and opposition parties, President Cyril Ramaphosa finally unveiled his grand coalition cabinet, allocating several cabinet posts to the Democratic Alliance (DA) and eight other opposition parties. In a televised address to the nation, Ramaphosa appointed six DA ministers, including party leader John Steenhuisen, who took over the Department of Agriculture, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) president Velenkosi Hlabisa, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) president…

African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has been inaugurated as head of the Republic of South Africa, which enables him to officially kick-off his second term at the helm of the nation. Ramaphosa took his oath of office at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Gauteng, witnessed by South Africans from all walks of life, as well as dignitaries from various countries across the continent and beyond. The event marked a significant milestone in the country’s democracy following the elections…

In public discourse, there is a tendency to incorrectly equate fundamentally dissimilar entities in nature and purpose. The governments of national unity (GNU) established in 1910, the 1990s and 2024 only share a name but are vastly different in context and outcome. Some commentators’ insistence on justifying this ‘sameness’ is intellectually dishonest and misleading.  It is akin to comparing Newcastle in Natal with Newcastle in the UK; they share a name but are distinctly separate places. In mainstream political literature,…

Mpumalanga ANC chairperson Mandla Ndlovu has been elected premier, marking a new era for the province after the 2024 general elections. He replaces embattled former Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, who was forced to relinquish the top job after ANC top brass confirmed Ndlovu’s candidacy in a statement released on Thursday, June 13. The Mpumalanga Legislature elected Ndlovu at its first sitting on Friday.  His election came hours after it emerged that the ANC and the Democratic Alliance had agreed to…