Monthly Archives: November 2024

Echoes of populism: The Peronists in Argentina, the Zumas in SA, the Trumps in the US

A core task of an ambassador is to put the best gloss abroad on challenging aspects on the home front. True to this idea, on the eve of his departure to the United States as ambassador-designate, Ebrahim Rasool said of the fragile GNU here, and the exclusion of Jacob Zuma's MK Party from it: "There [...]

Ministerial overreach or govt policy? The conflicted role of Ntshavheni in GNU

According to a survey of historical scholars published by US News and World Report, American President Warren G Harding (29th president 1921-1923) was rated the sixth worst since the office was established in 1789 by founding father George Washington (rated third best). Harding had many strikes against him during his short tenure, but one of [...]

Will Trump buy what Rasool is selling?

"Retrospective clairvoyance" was the arch phrase of Clive James for the miraculous ability of pundits (me included) to deduce this week an event that was "inevitable" last week, though it was not actually seen as likely at the time. Thus, the sweeping win of Donald Trump last Tuesday has birthed endless analyses of why it [...]

Graceful concession: Small Botswana offers lessons to giant US

A panel beat of Shakespeare to fit modern elections, referencing last week's graceful presidential concession in Botswana, would read, "Nothing in his political life became him like leaving it." We live in a rough political neighbourhood with stolen elections in Zimbabwe now normalised, violent killings recently visited on the opposition in Mozambique, and a feudal [...]

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