Daanyaal Matthews

By Daanyaal Matthews The agreement between the trade union, Solidariteit, and the Department of Basic Education, that would see the delay of Sections 4 and 5 of the BELA Act be implemented, has been heavily criticized by civil society, politicians, political parties, and trade unions—such as SADTU—that have labelled the agreement as an act of ‘war’ against the majority African populace and racist. For Professor Jonathan Jansen, Professor of Education […]

By Daanyaal Matthews  An historic alliance in the political history of South Africa has been the tripartite alliance with the partnership of the African National Congress (ANC), the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU), and the South African Communist Party (SACP), being crucial in the nation's history.  However, this historic partnership has been damaged following the establishment of the Government of National Unity (GNU), as both COSATU and SACP […]

By Daanyaal Matthews  The health concerns around spaza shops have prompted a response from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who announced a multifaceted government plan to tackle the issue of food poisoning, a plan that would encapsulate all forms of government from national to local municipalities.  One plan of the President is to have all spaza shops registered in 21 days and have police close all stores that are non-registered after, has […]

By Daanyaal Matthews  The leader of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Shamila Batohi, has remarked that recent trends in rule of law and justice have raised concerns about the nation's future.  Batohi, who spoke at the University of Stellenbosch’s Department of Journalism's annual lecture, commented on worrying trends, such as on corruption in politics and populist rhetoric in the political, and that collective prioritisation of the rule of law is […]

By Daanyaal Matthews  Governments plan to incentivize the early retirement of public sector workers, which will cost them R11 billion. This has sparked conversation in the Republic on the necessity to cut public expenditure, specifically the public sector wage bill, with some arguing that the government is not targeting the true leaks in the budget.  For Dominic Brown, Alternative Information and Development Centre's economist, governments focus on culling public expenditure […]

By Daanyaal Matthews  The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have continued to bleed high profile personnel within the executive ranks. This comes as Dali Mpofu joined former EFF members Floyd Shivambu and Jimmy Manyi in the ranks of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party under the helm of former President Jacob Zuma.  This, coupled with the retirement of Former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has led to deepening conversations on the future […]