Tag: African National Congress (ANC)

Lilian Ngoyi was a trailblazing figure in South Africa’s liberation struggle. She was an electrifying orator, a key architect of the 1956 Women’s March, and the first woman elected to the African National Congress’ (ANC) National Executive Committee. Yet her life story has never been fully told.

In the African National Congress (ANC)’s annual “January 8 statement”, President Cyril Ramaphosa again placed fixing local government at the top of government priorities. This emphasis is not new. The president made the same point last year. He also referenced having said it before. The repetition matters. It signals that the challenge is no longer about intent. Instead, it is about execution and delivery in fixing local government.

The results of the 29 May 2024 elections caused a seismic shift in South Africa’s political landscape. For the first time in three decades of democracy, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) did not secure a majority. With a constitutional deadline of just fourteen days to elect a president, the nation held its breath. Would the ANC form a so-called doomsday coalition with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Patriotic Alliance, or pursue a centrist partnership with its long-time rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA)?

On the night of 30 October 2002, eight bomb blasts tore through Soweto. The explosions left one woman dead and damaged vital infrastructure. A far-right white Afrikaner separatist group called the Boeremag carried out the attacks. Their stated aim was to overthrow the ruling African National Congress (ANC) government, rid the country of black people and reinstate a new Boer-administered republic.

Between 1960 and 1989 in South Africa, more than 130 people were executed for crimes that had a political motive. Who were they? What did they do, and why did they do it? While many people have heard of Solomon Mahlangu, John Harris, or even Vuyisile Mini, the vast majority of executed activists remain unknown. This is despite the fact that they paid the ultimate price for their actions.

2024 marked the biggest election year in human history. Over 70 countries held elections, representing more than half the global population. Estimates show that over 80% of incumbent parties lost voter support in 2024 compared to the previous election. This shift made 2024 a significant year for global democracy.

With the state of the nation having taken place earlier this month, I find myself rolling my eyes continuously. The ridiculousness of it all is hard to believe. I can’t believe our country has come to this.

The first notable initiative in government by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) – South Africa’s second oldest existing federalist institution – has been to centralise spaza shop regulations under the central government. The xenophobic dimension is less surprising.

Mathews Phosa has been an eyewitness to the dramatic shifts of political power in South Africa. He was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement, the United Democratic Front (UDF), and the African National Congress (ANC). In 1985, he fled into exile and became an Umkhonto weSizwe commander in Mozambique.

Austerity does not need to mean suffering. Cutting public spending is urgent to address South Africa’s growing debt. Delaying cuts will only worsen debt and interest payments, making future cuts more severe. Reducing spending needn’t harm South Africans, as many wasteful expenses can be removed. In 2023, the Democratic Alliance (DA) estimated that the African National Congress (ANC)-led departments wasted around R40 billion in 2022/23 alone.