Opinion Archives

When the Office Becomes the Story: What Precisely Does the Republic Expect of its Speaker of Parliament?

15Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

When the Office Becomes the Story: What Precisely Does the Republic Expect of its Speaker of Parliament?

STANDFIRST: This commentary argues that the Speaker of Parliament must remain institutionally independent, constitutionally grounded and above party politics. Public scrutiny of any Speaker is legitimate, but it should focus on the duties of the office and the integrity of Parliament rather than on personalities alone. By Zola Pinda: Recent parliamentary processes, while focusing national attention on Speaker Thoko Didiza, inevitably revive this fundamental question, demanding a clear definition of this pivotal constitutional office. Public scrutiny of constitutional office-bearers is not only legitimate but essential. Democratic institutions thrive not on immunity from criticism, but on their capacity to withstand it, there...

Word of the Week: Freedom Within Our Lifetime

13Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Word of the Week: Freedom Within Our Lifetime

By Sello Hatang: Some generations inherit freedom. Others choose to become its architects.This week, we honour the memory of Ntate Govan Mbeki and Ashley Kriel, two men from different generations whose lives converged around a single conviction: that freedom was never meant to be a slogan, but a responsibility. They believed that liberation demanded sacrifice, courage and an unwavering commitment to those whose voices were too often ignored. They understood that no nation can truly call itself free while the poor, the landless and the forgotten remain behind.Their lives ask each of us a question that cannot be outsourced to politicians, governments or activists alone: What unfinished freedom has been entrusted to us?South Africa has tra...

March & March is Not a Counter-Revolution, But It Is Social Mobilisation for Accountability

8Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

March & March is Not a Counter-Revolution, But It Is Social Mobilisation for Accountability

By Dr Zamani Saul: (Image: Facebook) First, it is essential to acknowledge the politically astute and proactive manner in which the national government responded to the 30 June ultimatum for undocumented migrants to leave. What the government did was to reframe the protests of March & March into a vital grievance mechanism rather than a challenge to the legitimacy of the State. The government acknowledged that there is a slow pace in addressing the frustrations raised by March & March and, in the same vein, equally condemned any form of unlawful and violent activities directed to other people and property. The message was loud and clear that those participants in March & March programmes who embark on illegal and violent activities will...

Word of the Week: Service — The Rent We Pay for Our Place on Earth

6Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Word of the Week: Service — The Rent We Pay for Our Place on Earth

By Sello Hatang: July arrives carrying a powerful reminder: we are not merely inhabitants of this world; we are contributors to it. Mandela Month, and particularly Mandela Day, invites us to reflect on one of life’s greatest questions: what difference does my presence make? Service is often misunderstood. We sometimes imagine it as a grand gesture reserved for people with resources, influence, titles or platforms. Yet the deepest forms of service are often found in ordinary moments: a hand extended, a burden shared, a child encouraged, an elder remembered, a stranger treated with dignity. Service is not an event. It is a way of being. Nelson Mandela’s life reminds us that service is not about perfection; it is about purpose. He was the first...

The Weight of Renewal: From institutional crisis to academic renewal — the transformation the public narrative missed

5Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

The Weight of Renewal: From institutional crisis to academic renewal — the transformation the public narrative missed

Headlines have often focused on turbulence at the University of Fort Hare. Yet the deeper institutional record of Professor Sakhela Buhlungu’s two terms tells a different story — one of rebuilding, stabilisation and strategic renewal at one of Africa’s most important universities. By Zola Pinda: (Image: Forte Hare University Website) The University of Fort Hare has never been merely another university. It is one of the great institutions of African history. Its historical orbit includes heads of state — Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Seretse Khama of Botswana, and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. It produced liberation leaders of extraordinary courage — Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani and Robert ...

Alienation, Immigration and the Question of Labour in Post-Apartheid South Africa

4Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Alienation, Immigration and the Question of Labour in Post-Apartheid South Africa

By Fumene George Tsibani: (Image: Getty Images) It is my submission that the concept of “alienation” in the political landscape of a post-apartheid administrative system describes the condition in which the worker is estranged from the product of his labour, from the act of production, from his/her fellow workers, and from his/her own human potential. Under capitalism, this alienation is deepened when the owners of the means of production manipulate the labour market to suppress wages and to divide the working class. In South Africa, the presence of undocumented and illegal immigrants has been used, in this analysis, as an instrument to intensify such alienation amongst South African citizens. On the one hand, sections of capital exp...

Pastor Chris Should Focus on Teaching the Bible to the Nigerians Rather Than Involving Himself In SA’s Political Matters

2Jul

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Pastor Chris Should Focus on Teaching the Bible to the Nigerians Rather Than Involving Himself In SA’s Political Matters

By Katlego Rammusa: This comes after Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Nigeria, who once had the biggest ministry in South Africa, came out in public to say, "What South Africans are doing with the March and March protest is totally unacceptable, and the government of South Africa should intervene. If there are illegal immigrants, law enforcement must deal with that, not the normal citizens." First of all, the March and March protests are peaceful protests to awaken the government to take action against the illegal immigrants. The citizens are not taking the law into their own hands, just to clarify. As a patriotic South African, I clearly see that the man of God does not understand what is going on in the country, or is ignorant of it? Fir...

29Jun

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Word of the Week: Hangry

By Sello Hatang: Hangry is one of those modern words that makes us smile. It describes that moment when hunger robs us of patience and reason. We become irritable, emotional and quick to lash out. But perhaps hangry has become more than an individual condition. Perhaps it has become the emotional state of our nation.South Africa is not simply hungry for food. It is hungry for jobs, dignity, safety, justice and hope. High unemployment, widening inequality, deepening poverty, persistent corruption and collapsing public services have created a society where too many people feel abandoned. Communities have pleaded for intervention for years. They have watched factories close, businesses leave, infrastructure decay and opportunities disappear. W...

22Jun

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Word of the Week: Father

By Sello Hatang: This week, we honour the men who showed up, often quietly, often imperfectly, but faithfully. The fathers who carried burdens they never spoke about, sacrificed dreams so others could dream, and stood as shelter in life’s storms. A father is not measured by the size of his wallet, but by the size of his heart. Sometimes the greatest gift a father gives is simply his presence. A call. A prayer. A word of encouragement. A hand on a shoulder that says, “You can do this.” To every father, grandfather, uncle, mentor and father figure: thank you for helping others believe in themselves. To those who miss their fathers today, may their love continue to guide you.The true measure of a father is not what he leaves for his childre...

16Jun

By News SANo Comments

Opinion

Word of the Week: Legacy

By Sello Hatang: As we mark the 50th anniversary of June 16, our Word of the Week is Legacy.Fifty years ago, thousands of young people took to the streets of Soweto and other parts of South Africa to demand the right to a quality education and a future filled with dignity and opportunity. They were schoolchildren. They carried books, dreams and hopes. Yet they faced bullets, brutality and a system determined to silence them. The image captured by photographer Sam Nzima of young Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo while his sister Antoinette Sithole ran beside them remains one of the most powerful symbols of our struggle for freedom. It is a photograph that reminds us that history is not merely a collection of dates and events....