16 January 2020 – 16:16 Business day In all the discussion and deliberations about the economy-shrinking ailments that have caused Eskom to become slowly less capable of maintaining a reliable supply of electricity, the role of years of deliberate decisions not to maintain Eskom plant and equipment has not enjoyed sufficient attention. It is undeniably […]
There are none so blind as those who will not see
Opinionista • Paul Hoffman • 16 January 2020 The aims of the National Democratic Revolution as espoused by the ANC, and reiterated in 2020’s January 8th Statement, are in direct conflict with the Constitution of South Africa. Oscar van Heerden’s columns are usually insightful and informative. In his most recent contribution to the columns of […]
25 years after apartheid
Paul Hoffman SC | 15 January 2020 | Paul Hoffman’s perspective on the political and economic woes of current-day SA 25 years after apartheid: a perspective on the political and economic woes of current-day South Africa Nelson Mandela, then the world’s most famous political prisoner, was released from prison in February 1990. He brought about […]
In defence of South African hope
By Marianne Thamm • 8 January 2020 To guard against being overwhelmed by the electronic debris that is the global contemporary news cycle, you need to go looking for True North. The compass has always been approximate so you have to do some of the work, in the real world, that is. Cast your mind […]
Our government must do everything it can to stop load shedding
Opinionista • Paul Hoffman • 13 December 2019 Dealing with the electricity crisis has to be a national priority, not only for the state, but also for the individual. There are solutions available for implementation as a matter of urgency. A good place to start would be for Chancellor House to pay back Eskom’s money. […]
Luthuli House functionaries are critical of constitutionalism
Opinionista • Paul Hoffman • 10 December 2019 The ANC-led alliance does not regard the Constitution as the end goal of its endeavours. It is instead a ‘bridgehead’ in the ongoing revolutionary struggle towards victory in the national democratic revolutionary striving for hegemonic control of all the levers of power in society. There is no […]
Summer 2019 Accountability Now Newsletter.
We start by wishing our patron Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu a speedy recovery from the surgical procedure and “stubborn infection” which are currently threatening his Christmas season. The latest news is that he is in good spirits and recovering in hospital in Cape Town. All being well he will discharged in the next few days.Still […]
Does the president have too much power? Yes (and no)
Opinionista • Paul Hoffman • 5 December 2019 Willie Hofmeyr overstates the position when he says that the powers of appointment which the president has under the Constitution are unqualified. The rule of law is regarded as supreme, which means that anything done by the president has to be within the confines of the doctrine […]
HANNA ZIADY: Being a possibilist not impossible when we consider all the positives
BL PREMIUM 10 NOVEMBER 2019 – 20:16 HANNA ZIADY There are plenty of reasons to be negative about the world, and SA in particular, but pessimists seldom solve problems. That is the thought I want to leave you with in what will be the last column I contribute to these pages for the foreseeable future. Our country […]
Willie Hofmeyr: Cut president’s sweeping powers or risk state capture
01 December 2019 – 00:01 By QAANITAH HUNTER (TimesLive) The recently retired head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Willie Hofmeyr, says SA is at risk of state capture again unless the president’s sweeping powers are cut. Hofmeyr told the Sunday Times he recommended the constitution be changed in an affidavit filed at the Zondo commission. […]
