PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA WELCOMES RETURN OF SOUTH AFRICAN MEN FROM RUSSIAN FRONTLINES
President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of the South African men who were lured into the battle lines between Russia and Ukraine by South African elements that remain under investigation. The South African government, working closely with the Russian government, has secured a safe return of the men. This followed receipt of distressed calls […]
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CONDENMS INTERNATIONAL LAW VIOLATIONS IN MIDDLE EAST
President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Government of the Republic of South Africa express deep concern regarding the escalation of tensions in the Middle East. These developments pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security, with far-reaching humanitarian, diplomatic and economic consequences. President Ramaphosa calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and […]
A COURT FOR THE WEAK? WHY MAJOR POWERS IGNORE THE ICC WHILE AFRICA STANDS TRIAL
On November 13, 2025, an International coalition of lawyers and human rights groups officially appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) with a request to investigate the actions of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Government during the recent presidential elections in Tanzania. Today, six months later, we are witnessing how this event has fundamentally […]
SOUTH AFRICA NOTES ISRAEL’S RESPONSE FILING TO THE ICJ
The South African government has noted the filing of Israel’s response to South Africa’s written pleadings in the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The State of Israel filed its […]
Strait of Hormuz “shutdown” and the revival of coal
When Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March following coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on strategic targets inside its territory, the world witnessed more than just a military flare-up. It watched the sudden constriction of the most critical maritime artery for global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), triggering an energy shock […]
Mea Culpa: The Abdication and Co-option of the Black Middle Class
Standfirst South Africa has more Black leaders in powerful institutions than ever before. Yet the distance between the Black middle class and the communities that shaped it continues to widen. This essay reflects on the quiet abdication and co-option of that class—and the responsibility that now confronts it. There comes a moment when confession must […]