Long Read | Conspiracies in far-right politics
Paranoia that the Covid-19 vaccine will be used to subjugate people is rampant. The truth, that capitalism doesn’t hide its devilry, is far simpler – and harder to swallow.
Analysis
Radio New Frame | Noam Chomsky on Donald Trump
Chomsky warns that although Trump may be out of the White House, he still poses a threat to stability in the United States.
ANC factionalism fuels vaccine scepticism
In Joburg’s inner city, existing political fault lines are providing fertile ground for the spread of misinformation, with vaccine scepticism taking hold.
Museveni’s trusted playbook delivers victory again
The Bobi Wine-led revolution in Uganda might have been streamed live, but Uganda’s president relied on tried-and-tested strategies to prevail in the election.
Why prisoners are a priority in vaccine rollout
Inmates comprise a vulnerable group in society and they are meant to receive Covid-19 vaccines earlier than the general population. This has sparked debate locally and globally.
No cure for South Africa’s colonised medical minds
Elites have ignored the countries successfully using preventative measures against Covid-19. Instead, they’ve followed Western nations with their blind faith in technical solutions.
White licence was allowed to storm the Capitol
The attack on Congress should be seen for what it is: an assault by enfranchised white supremacists who cannot tolerate those outside their racist circle.
Affirming medicine as a public good
Medical science has developed hugely powerful technologies that can be used for social purposes. But to achieve this, it needs to be clearly on the side of the people.
Bread and vaccines
Pharmaceutical companies stand to make billions from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the vaccines they have developed are the fruits of the collective labour of all of humanity.
The vaccine cold supply chain can’t reach everywhere
Many countries cannot accommodate vaccines that have to be kept at ultralow temperatures, creating a big problem for equitable Covid-19 vaccination.
Blame Johnson’s jingoism for UK coronavirus mess
The handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by the British prime minister has been chaotic and disastrous, resorting to violent rhetoric and failing to meet his government’s own promises.
Movement and mobilisation
Social movements from South Africa to Brazil have built economic systems rooted in cooperation, creativity and direct action as an antidote to the neoliberal order.
Gramsci on the great divide between north and south
Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci explores Italy’s social stratification between the wealthy north and the impoverished south – a divide that holds to this day.
People with HIV should be central to prevention efforts
HIV and Aids programmes will work better if they integrate the message of the U=U campaign about the relationship between viral suppression and halting the sexual transmission of HIV.
Part two | Nuclear energy in Africa
The second in this three-part series looks at how power purchase agreements raise the cost of electricity for consumers and act as major sources of inflationary pressure in economies.
Joe Biden and the declining American empire
The new US president has promised to restore ‘normalcy’ after Donald Trump, but that may just mean more imperialism, corporate war-profiteering and environmental decline.
Counting the cost of not supporting the SABC
The public broadcaster stands out for its robust election coverage, which gauges and reflects the issues that truly concern South Africa’s citizens. We can’t afford to lose it.
US lurches back to the reactionary ‘extreme centre’
While the defeat of Donald Trump is a cause for celebration, the win by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, supporters of austerity and global imperialism, comes with its own problems.
SA’s unemployment is a national disgrace
A quarter century of failed economic policies tipped South Africa over the brink when Covid-19 hit. There is a solution, if the government is prepared to mobilise its resources.
Ordinary South Africans define a decent life
Arbitrary statistical tools for defining poverty – including the outmoded $1-a-day measure – are being overturned by models of dignity created by groups around the country.
Part one | Nuclear energy in Africa
The first in this three-part series looks at the cost of nuclear power and how vendors minimise their financial risk by maximising profits through power purchase agreements with governments.