Opinion

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

By Fumene George Tsibani: South Africa’s transformation project cannot be assessed without interrogating the instruments that were designed to alter ownership, control and participation in the economy. The movement from Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) represents a policy evolution, yet it has not resolved the structural inequalities that continue to undermine growth, inclusion and democratic legitimacy. As Dr Pali Lehohla argues in The Untold Story of South Africa’s Economic and Democratic Decline, “mining and finance have played a central role in widening inequality and limiting opportunities for future generations” (Lehohla, 2026:3). Conceptual and Legislative DistinctionsBlack Economic ...