A future without illusion
For too long we have understood South Africa in terms of myth rather than history, fantasy rather than reality. Now we must take full measure of who and where we are.
Editorial
The fire this time
It is unclear how the state will respond to the recent tumult in KwaZulu-Natal. Leadership will have to come from within society.
A moment of rupture
There can be no return to business as usual after the rapidly mutating rupture in recent days. What happens in the months and years to come is of critical import.
End game for Zuma and Mswati
Like the former South African president, the king of eSwatini is destined to fall from grace and power. But as the wheel of history turns, it is imperative to think about viable routes into a just future.
Oppression and resistance in eSwatini
Two New Frame journalists were swept up in the tumult in eSwatini. They are now safely across the border, but opposition to the dictatorship continues to face severe repression.
Law and riot, riot and law
The law has no absolute character and always reflects the balance of social forces at the time it was written. It is a terrain of struggle, not a replacement for struggle.
Organise or die
The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t brought South Africa’s health system to its knees. Instead, it has simply exposed on a wider scale the systematic failures that were already there.
The dark side of sport’s power
There are alarming examples all around us of sport, its heroes and those who milk its cash cows being cloaked in admiration when they deserve our harshest scorn.
Johannesburg in decay
South Africa’s largest city is a world city, the home of jazz, art, politics and insurgent popular aspirations. But it is in precipitous decline, making now the time to act.
A place weeping
The social devastation of mass unemployment renders South Africa a non-viable society for millions. Something must give.
Tyres burn as road runs out for Zuma
Jacob Zuma is finally having his day in court. But while there is deep popular opposition to corruption, the criminal justice system requires urgent reform if it is to sustain credibility.
ANC government must impose sanctions on Israel
Condemning Israel while continuing to do business with the state is a cynical attempt to spin optics when what Palestinians need is decisive action.
Building real alternatives to ANC’s degeneration
The political decay in the ruling party is so pervasive that weeding out a few leaders will not be sufficient to rebuild the possibility of real social hope
The urgency of universal healthcare
Giving everyone access to quality medical treatment can no longer be treated as an unrealisable dream. In these dangerous times, it is simply vital to make it a reality.
Blowing the whistle on football’s culture of greed
Football was broken long before the European Super League. But the united effort that dismantled this money-grubbing venture has to be sustained to fix the other ills in the beautiful game.
A promising move against impunity
It may have taken 34 years, but the decision to bring the murderers of Thomas Sankara to book is an important warning to assassins and their backers.
Data is not a luxury but a necessity
South African network providers MTN and Vodacom have been exploiting their customers for decades, from high SMS prices to exorbitant data costs. They need far more than just a slap on the wrist.
Long Read | Senzeni Na?
The South African state and the society from which it stems and governs are systemically violent. It is time to break this cycle of violence with a politics rooted in a commitment to healing.
A fleeting sense of national solidarity
Trust in the state and the ANC has declined precipitously since the initial lockdown began, making it urgent to look beyond shallow political dramas and see what is driving the country’s crisis.
King Zwelithini’s reckless use of personal power
It would be remiss not to acknowledge the Zulu King’s complicity with apartheid machinations, political violence, homophobia, sexism and xenophobia – and the exploitative Ingonyama Trust.
The rising threat of political gangsterism
Jacob Zuma’s tea parties and the new political alliances and ideological projects being created suggest a dangerous intensification of authoritarian, ultra-nationalist and ethnic politics.