Sending violent criminals to eSwatini is essentially sending them to South Africa
The saying goes that if the US sneezes, South Africa gets the flu. Well, in this case it appears to be the reality, Washington is sending a massive viral load of deported criminals from the US to Eswatini and no doubt South Africa will also suffer as a result. Under a new “third-country” removal scheme […]
Should South Africa Continue with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE)?
South Africa’s economy is under immense pressure, with sluggish growth, high unemployment, and declining investor confidence. Many South Africans are questioning whether policies like Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), originally introduced to address the injustices of apartheid, are still serving their purpose—or if they are now contributing to inefficiency, corruption, and economic exclusion. Join the […]
Leon Schreiber Is Quietly Proving That Coalition Government Doesn’t Have to Be Chaos
Few would have predicted that the Department of Home Affairs would be one of the few early bright spots of South Africa’s post-ANC political transition and trial-run coalition government. Yet here we are. While many eyes remain fixated on the packed-action, high drama unfolding within the Government of National Unity (GNU), Leon Schreiber is quietly […]
Van regstelling tot rassebeheer
Toe die nuwe Suid-Afrika in 1994 tot stand gekom het, was daar een droom wat bo die res fundamenteel uitgestyg het – ʼn visie van ʼn nie-rassige demokrasie. Dit was ʼn repudiasie van die verlede en die belofte van ʼn toekoms waar Suid-Afrikaners gelyk hanteer word en nie uitgesonder word op grond van ras nie. […]
Should Military Conscription Return to South Africa?
The 2024–2028 National Security Strategy proposes the reintroduction of compulsory military service for South African youth. The stated aim is to strengthen national security, build skills, and instill discipline and national values. For many South Africans, however, the return of conscription may raise concerns around freedom of choice and the militarisation of youth. The immense […]
Are You Concerned About Violent Criminals Deported to eSwatini Entering South Africa?
The United States has deported a number of violent criminals from multiple countries to eSwatini, citing international agreements and logistical considerations. This raises legitimate concerns for neighbouring countries like South Africa, where border control remains weak and crime is already a pressing issue. Join the conversation Should South Africans be worried about these individuals crossing […]
I read the National Security Strategy so you don’t have to
On the 15th of July, the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee released its National Security Strategy (2024–2028) – a 35-page bureaucratic epic intended to chart South Africa’s path through an increasingly unstable world. True to South African policy form, it is an ambitious document. It’s also, in equal measure, vague, anxious, self-congratulatory, and confused. Seeing as […]
Do South Africans still trust commissions of inquiry? Free SA calls for accountability, not empty spectacle
Free SA has launched a bold public campaign asking the question many South Africans are quietly contemplating: Do we still trust commissions of inquiry? The question comes in the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement of a commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption involving Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. Free SA had previously requested […]
From diagnosis to action: SA’s missing link
At the height of any political crisis, a few essential questions inevitably arise. The first is diagnostic: What exactly is the problem? This is where we usually excel. In South Africa, we’ve become adept at naming the issues – widespread corruption, bloated state-owned enterprises, an oversized cabinet. We know we’re paying far too much in taxes and […]
Have Your Say: Could Better Diplomacy Have Prevented the New US Tariffs?
On 1 August, the United States will impose a 30% tariff on South African exports, a move that will impact local businesses, jobs, and the economy at large. President Ramaphosa has called the decision “unjustified,” but some analysts argue that strained diplomatic relations and weak foreign policy may have played a role in triggering this […]