Author: bradcheap82

Johannesburg, South Africa – Nearly a month since landmark national elections saw the African National Congress (ANC) lose its majority for the first time, forcing it to form a coalition to govern South Africa, a deadlock stemming from the allocation of cabinet positions threatened to topple the whole house of cards. Tense negotiations, mainly between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA), the two biggest parties in the coalition, led to delays this week of President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing his cabinet in the Government of National Unity (GNU). Fears were heightened and markets reacted badly to news of DA leader…

The ANC’s loss of its majority in the recent election, and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s formation of a government of national unity, have been interpreted by some commentators as indicating the end of the ANC as a “dominant party”. That is, one which recurrently wins elections and hence dominates a political system. Their argument, and it is not unconvincing, is that the ANC vote share has consistently fallen since its high point in the 2009 election, when it won 66%, to its new low of 40%. This is taken to indicate an inexorable decline which the ANC appears unlikely or unable…

Watchdogs: From left, Tessa Dooms (Rivonia Circle), Wayne Duvengae (Outa), Ishmael Mkhabela (Joburg Inner city Partnership), Neeshan Balton (Ahmed Kathrada Foundation) and Rev Moss (Defend our Democracy) are members of the Joburg Crisis Alliance. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo) Governance and politics often go hand in hand in a delicate balancing act. Governance in its most basic form is about the allocation of resources; it’s the process of deciding who gets what, when and where. Politics is largely about who is responsible for these decisions. Democracy is one way to optimise the latter, because it allows citizens a voice in…

In many modern democracies, migration is one of the most complicated issues, one that takes a high emotional toll on the entire society.This is because of “othering”, a feeling among voters that they are “us” and migrants are “them”. In most democracies, more older people vote than younger people — and immigrants are the change that most of them oppose.It also helps anti-immigrant forces that the politics of migration is often not rooted in fact, in South Africa and many other places. Many people here believe that those who were not born here should be “sent home” and that no other…

The 2024 elections marked a shift in South African politics, yet the end of the ANC’s decades-long hegemony may prove fleeting. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (left) with John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), at the government’s swearing-in ceremony on July 3, 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa. DA is a centrist party that moved from opposition into the current coalition government following June elections. © Getty Images ×In a nutshell Voters stripped the ANC of its dominance and forced a governing coalition Economic instability, unemployment and rising crime fuel calls for change The coalition faces hurdles in…

The Biden administration has turned its focus to securing the release of hostages from Hamas as chances for a ceasefire deal appear to be fading, Politico reported on Thursday. A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas — who went to war in October after Hamas invaded Israel — has been a months-long goal of the U.S. and international negotiators, though it has been nearly impossible to reach an agreement. U.S. and Western officials have become concerned that the possibility of a ceasefire is quickly dimming, with the priority now being shifted toward freeing the remaining hostages in Gaza, according to…

Moment Bayesian yacht engulfed by stormSupport trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.The family of Mike and Hannah Lynch, who died after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, have said they are “devastated” and friends say the 18-year-old being “taken on the precipice of her life” is “cruel beyond belief.”Tributes for the pair were published today after the final missing body, believed to be that of Hannah, was brought ashore after…

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said “the time has come” for the central bank to adjust its monetary policy, signaling that rate cuts could soon lower borrowing costs for American consumers and businesses.Powell, who spoke at an annual conference of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, didn’t disclose specifics about when a rate cut could arrive, or its size, although economists have penciled in a reduction at the Fed’s September 18 meeting. The federal funds rate now stands in a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, its highest level in 23 years. In conveying that the Fed is likely to start cutting…

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a historic visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, signing multiple agreements with the state and honoring the victims of Russia’s invasion. Modi became the first person in India’s top government office to visit sovereign Ukraine and sought to improve ties after months of tensions between Kyiv and New Delhi, originating in India’s close relationship with Russia. India is one of Russia’s most loyal buyers of crude oil, buying it cheaply and refining it to sell it at higher prices to the West. The Indian government has also refused to sign…

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.In 1964, Fannie Lou Hamer, the head of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, spoke in stark detail about how she was brutally beaten in a police cell for seeking the right to vote.“All of this is on account of we want to register, to become first-class citizens,” she said. Hamer and other Black people in heart of the Deep South had lived under a cruel racial apartheid…