News/Politics

When Mokotedi Mpshe “plagiarised” a dusty and overturned foreign judgement to justify dropping the embarrassing charges against the ANC president on the eve of the 2009 elections, most of society simply shrugged and got on with their lives. Some media and opposition parties made noise for a day or two, but there was really little […]

In an Idasa seminar with Collins Chabane and other persons of note, he mentioned that other governments are very concerned about South Africa’s ability to secure their information. I had no idea. Of course, we all know about the concern around South Africa’s ability to manage its own information — late registration of births leading […]

Unlike the useless drones that now overwhelmingly make up the ANC benches in the House, that first Parliament was blessed with an array of committed, capable people, who genuinely believed that they were there to serve the people.

You are probably corrupt. Here is why. In the last 12 months you probably have done one of the following. You probably have, on at least one occasion, bribed a traffic cop who pulled you over for speeding. You had no qualms parting with a facilitation fee to a driving instructor in return for a […]

You are probably corrupt. Here is why. In the last twelve months you probably have done one of the following. You probably have, on more than one occasion, bribed a traffic cop who pulled you over for speeding. You had no qualms parting with a facilitation fee (http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-02-12-getting-a-licence-can-drive-you-to-corruption) to a driving instructor in return for […]

Media freedom is one of those topics that its easy to raise a consensus around. For those of us that remember that bad days of apartheid, the consequences of a media held back by a government threatened by the truth needs no exposition. It is thus not surprising that there has been a loud and […]

Selebi may be just a sideshow. No one knows how deep and far the corruption in SAPS’ top hierarchy extends.

By Adriaan Basson Since he and his team successfully prosecuted Jackie Selebi, the National Prosecuting Authority is refusing to grant me an interview with Advocate Gerrie Nel. Why? Nel and his team were the architects of Operation Bad Guys — one of the Scorpions’ final investigations that netted Selebi, Glenn Agliotti, Clinton Nassif and a […]

Society and progressive civil society in particular, must take some of the blame for the state threats to the media. This is not some sensationalistic shock statement meant to upset you into action. In it lies the years of abdication from social responsibility to build a vigilant society. A society that guards its democratic freedom […]

After a marathon trial, after suspicious political inventions and interventions, after the commendable investigative and prosecutorial work of members of the now disbanded special unit known as Scorpions, prison beckons for former South African police commissioner and former head of Interpol, Sello Jacob Selebi, known simply as Jackie Selebi. For some it’s hallelujah. For others […]

Enough silence. The last time I blogged on this site it was about #SpeakZA, an initiative started by Sipho Hlongwane and amplified by the online community as a protest against Malema and his cronies trying to gag the media. Well it looks like the war has stepped up a few levels. And I have to […]