Sentletse Diakanyo

When the Special Browse Mole Report (the report) was initially leaked to Cosatu, those implicated in clandestine activities to undermine the rule of law and overthrow the government swiftly moved to discredit the origins of the report and attempted to render its contents invalid. The SACP secretary-general, Blade Nzimande, addressed a letter of complaint to […]

Unity is the mantra of every politician, whether inspired by well-meaning intentions or purely populist rhetoric and self-serving interests, it is a constant refrain. A united country seldom serves the immediate populist interests of holders of public office. When all of us are unified by common interests, populists lose an effective weapon to use in […]

Bertrand Russell in his treatise, Political Ideals (1917), expounded that: “In dark days, men need a clear faith and a well-grounded hope, and as the outcome of these, the calm courage which takes no account of hardships by the way. The times through which we are passing have afforded to many of us a confirmation […]

The decision by the acting National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Mokotedi Mpshe, to drop criminal charges against Jacob Zuma, as many commentators and legal experts have said, has no legal basis whatsoever. It is a decision motivated by political considerations and appears induced under duress or undue pressure. Mpshe failed to convince the nation […]

China has for some time now been seducing African countries, all of whom are desperate for foreign direct investment with the promise of “no strings attached” investment, aid and military assistance. Though some countries have placed human rights as one of the preconditions for investing in Africa, China has opted to turn a blind eye […]

The vast scope of the politics of patronage has become an incontestable reality since Polokwane visited on us all the ills we never imagined for our young democracy. Scavengers from all corners have descended upon the carcass of the ANC, lured by the promises of a gluttonous feast. When the once glorious ANC hoisted a […]

Every so often emerges a political force that captures the imagination of humanity and transforms the outlook on reality as it had been perceived. The adoption of Hiltler’s Germany of fascism transformed the political landscape in Europe in the 1930s and led to untold harm to the conscience of the German nation. The 1960s were […]

Since the end of slavery and the period during the fight by Africans for independence from colonial rule, Africans had been imbued by a renewed sense of consciousness of their being and blackness. The struggle for liberation from the shackles of colonialism was primarily premised on the innate struggle for psychological emancipation from mental slavery, […]

The holy book has got an account of a certain Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who driven by greed betrayed his divine master and sold him to the Roman authorities. It was an act of betrayal of the brotherhood of men, which is premised on mutual trust and respect. For […]

In his farewell speech this week, Tony Leon stood before parliament and reflected on his tenure in the legislature as leader of the opposition; a tenure that no sane man can proclaim to have been inspiring. His was two decades of disappointment. Under the false pretext of fighting for justice, order and good governance, Leon […]