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Aubrey Matshiqi

Aubrey Matshiqi

Aubrey Matshiqi, Independent Political Analyst - matshiqi@yahoo.com

The Health of the People Must be the Supreme Law

The Health of the People Must be the Supreme Law

30th April 2020 Cicero, the highly gifted orator and lawyer - he of the heydays of the Roman Empire, once argued that the health of the people, the health of... 

The people have spoken – Aubrey Matshiqi

The people have spoken – Aubrey Matshiqi

29th May 2019 In its strategy and tactics documents, the African National Congress (ANC) talks about ‘the people’ as the key motive force of what the ruling... 

ANC will come out  tops – and here’s why

ANC will come out tops – and here’s why

3rd May 2019 Apparently there is a general election on May 8. Were it not for the so-called service delivery protests, one would have forgotten that South... 

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Post-Sona blues

Post-Sona blues

1st March 2019 The 2019 State of the Nation address (Sona) will be remembered for two things in the main: the anger with which some social partners greeted the... 

ANC manifesto: we’ve heard that all before

ANC manifesto: we’ve heard that all before

31st January 2019 Before I start, let me say this: I have spent the past two days thinking about what to say about the election manifesto of the African National... 

A reflection on 2018

A reflection on 2018

14th December 2018 Almost a year ago, Cyril Ramaphosa was elected president of the African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec national conference of the ruling... 

State capture – again

State capture – again

19th October 2018 In my last interview with polity.org, I argued that there is an Askari element in the African National Congress (ANC). This Askari element consists... 

Facilitators of State capture in SA

Facilitators of State capture in SA

21st September 2018 The State capture commission of inquiry is under way. The picture that is beginning to emerge is that of a South Africa where, by the time former... 

Land question

Land question

17th August 2018 Does South Africa belong to those who live in it, or to those who conquered it? In other words, is land expropriation without compensation... 

Ramaphoria index falling

Ramaphoria index falling

20th July 2018 This month we are celebrating the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. I suspect that the country will celebrate more the older Mandela than... 

When crime intelligence is lacking

When crime intelligence is lacking

22nd June 2018 The cash-in-transit heists, taxi violence and political assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) should worry us deeply. What they suggest is the... 

A reflection on the DA-De Lille imbroglio

A reflection on the DA-De Lille imbroglio

28th May 2018 A hegemonic project is at its zenith when its driving logic, values and what it represents have become commonsensical. Hegemony at this stage of... 

We should be less euphoric about the Ramaphosa moment

We should be less euphoric about the Ramaphosa moment

23rd March 2018 In his State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about  a new dawn, hope and renewal. Quoting from the song Thuma Mina (send... 

The choices Ramaphosa has to make

The choices Ramaphosa has to make

15th February 2018 As I sit to write this month’s missive, it seems the Zuma moment will be behind us soon. As I write, I am listening to a news bulletin in which it... 

Ramaphosa headed for stormy seas

Ramaphosa headed for stormy seas

24th January 2018 The African National Congress (ANC) has a new leader. The question is whether Cyril Ramaphosa is the next President of South Africa. In other... 

ANC leadership race really a contest between Ramaphosa and Zuma

ANC leadership race really a contest between Ramaphosa and Zuma

15th December 2017 Twelve months ago, I had no doubt that  the national conference of the African National Congress (ANC) would elect Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as... 

Here is why CR17 is not ahead in ANC leadership race

Here is why CR17 is not ahead in ANC leadership race

24th November 2017 In a matter of weeks, the African National Congress (ANC) will elect its fourteenth president. Depending on who or what section of the media one... 

KPMG scandal  could be the tip  of the iceberg

KPMG scandal could be the tip of the iceberg

20th October 2017 The KPMG scandal is an example of what happens when accounting meets the profit imperative. It is also an example of what happens when the profit... 

NDZ not Zuma’s candidate in ANC leadership race

NDZ not Zuma’s candidate in ANC leadership race

22nd September 2017 Let me start by quoting from the book Dictator, by Robert Harris – a book about Rome and the last 15 years of Cicero: “You have the soldiers but no... 

No credible candidate in the overcrowded race for the presidency of the ANC

No credible candidate in the overcrowded race for the presidency of the ANC

23rd August 2017 In recent months and weeks, Lindiwe Sisulu, Mathews Phosa, Baleka Mbete and Jeff Radebe have entered the race for the presidency of the African... 

Conservative streak prevailed at ANC policy conference

Conservative streak prevailed at ANC policy conference

21st July 2017 At the end of the policy conference of the African National Congress (ANC), President Jacob Zuma declared that the ruling party was more united... 

Zille’s antics a big disservice to the DA

Zille’s antics a big disservice to the DA

16th June 2017 There is an interesting irony about the tension between Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane and his predecessor, Helen Zille. The irony... 

The unravelling of Jacob Zuma

The unravelling of Jacob Zuma

19th May 2017 At the memorial service for former President Nelson Mandela, a section of the crowd booed President Jacob Zuma. At the end of last year, former... 

Anti-Zuma campaigners should rather pressure ruling party to eject him

Anti-Zuma campaigners should rather pressure ruling party to eject him

28th April 2017 To defeat former President Thabo Mbeki, the coalition that supported the then deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC), Jacob Zuma,... 

South Africa struggling to be reborn

South Africa struggling to be reborn

23rd March 2017 The South Africa we fought for is struggling to be reborn. In fact, it is being pushed back into the womb. As we prepare to celebrate 23 years of... 

Foreign policy rows all about the changing balance of power

Foreign policy rows all about the changing balance of power

17th February 2017 The year began with two rows on foreign policy. The first was about a visit to Taiwan by Solly Msimang in his capacity as the executive mayor of... 

SA needs a leader who will be able to cure the country’s ills

SA needs a leader who will be able to cure the country’s ills

27th January 2017 The election of the leader of the African National Congress (ANC) is not only about individual interests; that is, it is not only about the... 

2016: Year of Orwellian manipulation

2016: Year of Orwellian manipulation

16th December 2016 We must declare 2016 the year of Orwellian manipulation. For the purposes of this article, Orwellian manipulation is about presenting falsehoods as... 

Likely consequences of an ANC-EFF merger

Likely consequences of an ANC-EFF merger

18th October 2016 For about three years now, there have been consistent rumours that some leaders of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African National... 

Politics to blame as SA hurtles towards downgrade

Politics to blame as SA hurtles towards downgrade

29th September 2016 South Africa is inching closer and closer towards a downgrade to subinvestment grade. To blame, of course, is the increasingly fractious politics... 

Implications of this year’s local government elections

Implications of this year’s local government elections

24th August 2016 In electoral terms, South Africa is a new country. The South Africa of the day before the local government elections, in relation to the South... 

ANC should lose August elections – but will it?

ANC should lose August elections – but will it?

22nd July 2016 The local government elections are upon us. And if things go according to the predictions of political commentators such as yours truly, as well as... 

EFF may well exploit rival parties’ incoherence on the race question

EFF may well exploit rival parties’ incoherence on the race question

24th June 2016 The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) have some common headaches, chief among which is the Economic Freedom Fighters... 

There’s more to elections than attendance at manifesto launch rallies

There’s more to elections than attendance at manifesto launch rallies

13th May 2016 An old Prog – a former member of the liberal Progressive Party, one of the precursors of the Democratic Alliance (DA) – told me a story about the... 

Nkandla judgment a turning point for ANC

Nkandla judgment a turning point for ANC

15th April 2016 A few weeks ago, I argued in an article I wrote for another publication for a proper alignment between conviction and courage. Since then, people... 

Gordhan vs Zuma

Gordhan vs Zuma

11th March 2016 The course of history can, and may, be changed by a single event. In the case of President Jacob Zuma, that event may be the decision to fire... 

ANC weighing pros and cons of long campaign for municipal elections

ANC weighing pros and cons of long campaign for municipal elections

12th February 2016 The African National congress (ANC) launches its local government election manifesto on April 16. Obviously, the elections will definitely not take... 

Municipal vote could be pointer to ANC’s electoral fortunes going forward

Municipal vote could be pointer to ANC’s electoral fortunes going forward

15th January 2016 This year is the year of the local government elections. This means that, between May and August, we will know whether shifts in voter sentiment,... 

2015 – the year that was

2015 – the year that was

11th December 2015 As people say, there is never a dull moment in South African politics. Indeed, in 2015 there were many moments in our politics that were definitely... 

South Africa the antithesis of a civilised society

South Africa the antithesis of a civilised society

13th November 2015 In the book Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap Between Us And Them, author Joshua Greene makes some compelling arguments about some of the... 

Hysterical pessimism  not the solution to  South Africa’s problems

Hysterical pessimism not the solution to South Africa’s problems

11th September 2015 In the book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Joseph Schumpeter states: “Frank presentation of ominous facts was never more necessary than it is... 

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