DARK SECRETS: 2 | Rare Historical Photos

Rock art: how South Africa's coat of arms got to feature an ancient San painting

A new exhibition in Johannesburg titled ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke – People who are Different: Come Together celebrates the rock art of the San people, the first inhabitants of southern Africa. Presented by the University of the Witwatersrand’s Rock Art Research Institute and the Origins Centre, the exhibition includes an…

The Conversation · Nov 26, 2022

UN to vote on new tax convention proposed by African states

Developing nations hope draft resolution will pave way for fresh talks on global tax policy

The Guardian - UK · Nov 23, 2022

South Africa needs strategic leadership to weather its storms. Its presidents have not been up to the task

South Africa is in a state of crisis. Its current reality is necessarily shaped by historical events, not least the outcomes of the political settlement process that led to the end of apartheid in 1994.

The Conversation · Nov 17, 2022

Not yet uhuru: the African Union has had a few successes but remains weak

The African Union (AU) was born in the South African port city of Durban in 2002. Under its first chair,Thabo Mbeki, African leaders seemed determined to abandon the grandiose plans of its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The OAU had been established in 1963 to promote African unity…

The Conversation · Aug 11, 2022

Racism in South Africa: why the ANC has failed to dismantle patterns of white privilege

One of the sources of social discontent in post-apartheid South Africa is the legacy of white racism. This toxic legacy is evident in racialised poverty and inequality.

The Conversation · Aug 4, 2022

South Africa is trapped again: what kind of leaders can set the country free

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki recently painted a gloomy picture of the country and its prospects. He said the governing African National Congress (ANC), led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, did not have a national plan to address the country’s many socio-economic problems. These include high and growing unemployment, inequality,…

The Conversation · Jul 31, 2022

South Africa has been warned that it faces an 'Arab Spring': so what are the chances?

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki recently launched a sharp critique of the governing African National Congress (ANC) for failure to address what it has labelled the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

The Conversation · Jul 26, 2022

Ex-president Mbeki rebukes Ramaphosa, predicts SA’s ‘Arab Spring’

Mbeki says current president has failed to deliver on his promises to address poverty and curb government corruption.

Al Jazeera · Jul 22, 2022

South Africa's Thabo Mbeki at 80: admired on the continent more than at home

Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s second post-apartheid president, celebrated his 80th birthday on 18 June 2022. Following Mandela’s era of multiracial and multicultural rainbowism, Mbeki had to squarely address the challenges of acute inequality and the numerous grievances of the black majority caused by colonialism and…

The Conversation · Jul 21, 2022

First look at the new Africa Centre: London’s iconic home of African excellence reopens in Southwark

The historic organisation has been without a permanent home for a decade - at last it has one worth its heritage

Evening Standard · Jun 8, 2022