Decolonizing Africa’s past
On national anniversaries and democratic survival.
South Africa
Pirates and Chiefs
Why do football matches between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates matter more than any other sporting event in South Africa. Even more than when the rugby Springboks play.
Poverty, inequality and virtuousness in South Africa
The inadequacy of charity in tackling the legacies of apartheid and colonialism.
Apartheid, anthropology and Johnny Clegg
All that French marketing schtick aside about "the white Zulu," Johnny Clegg was a real one.
Durban gets a new literary festival
What happens when ike's, a legendary bookstore in Durban, South Africa, creates a literary festival? For one, synergy.
How not to change a curriculum
One of South Africa's leading universities, UCT, released a curriculum change framework post-#RhodeMustFall. This is a critique by two alum.
Demystifying the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Technological change is not simply a neutral and inevitable process—it is shaped and driven by existing social relations.
The twin legacies of Ray and Dora Philips
A long awaited recognition comes for the two American founders of social work in South Africa.
Democracy and the left in post-apartheid South Africa
A veteran African National Congress stalwart and member of parliament speaks to Africa Is a Country about the party, South Africa's Parliament and the dearth of left politics in South Africa.
Climate, conflict and capitalism fuel xenophobia
We need to understand how climate change impacts the current and future flow of refugees and displaced persons, and ask why the protection needs of climate refugees are not being met.
The falsification of history
The charge that Mohandas Gandhi was a racist is doing the rounds again. His stay in colonial South Africa fuels those claims.
Why South Africa needs Democratic Socialism
South African politics urgently needs an injection of electoral energy from the left, that speaks in a language that resonates with voters, rejects chauvinism and embraces democracy.
South African homophobia goes to parliament
Are postapartheid norms against open homophobia in party politics eroding in South Africa?
The Fighters
In the Economic Freedom Fighters, power is centralized in Julius Malema's leadership. How that plays out, will affect the EFF's future trajectory.
The revolution in four-part harmony
A good time to bring back this piece—first written in 2002—on the power of song to fuel political struggle.
Rescuing Nelson Mandela from sainthood
There is a lively, angry, often chaotic debate about the role and place of the father of the South African nation.
Why are South African children struggling to read properly?
Poor reading scores among South African children highlights the need for decolonization in book publishing, teaching and policy implementation.
Another rhino report
Media coverage of rhino poaching in Southern Africa not only fails to address white control over conservation, but also reinforces it.
Voice of the Cape
Rapper YoungstaCPT's headspace is shaped by Cape Town’s history.
The politics of ethical deception
If in India there has been an investment in myth of Mohandas Gandhi as a non-racial icon, in South Africa Gandhi also has his defenders.