<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- generator="FeedCreator 1.7.3" -->
<?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.w3.org/2000/08/w3c-synd/style.css" type="text/css"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
    <channel>
        <title>Polity.org.za | Other Opinions</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Polity.org.za offers a unique take on news, with a focus on political, legal, economic and social issues in South Africa and Africa, as well as international affairs. Polity strives to provide our readers reliable and objective reporting on important issues that drive our society.]]></description>
        <link>https://www.polity.org.za/page/other-opinions</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:39:05 +0200</lastBuildDate>
        <generator>FeedCreator 1.7.3</generator>
        <item>
            <title>SA/US Quo Vadis II</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/saus-quo-vadis-ii-2026-09-30</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The recently announced US visa arrangements, followed by the US ambassador’s belligerent remarks, have put SA/US relations back in the spotlight again. In March I published a first note on the topic and pointed to the starkly contrasting ways the US and China treat SA; that US policy towards SA has been captured by the “Afrikaner genocide” narrative; that the SA government cannot agree to the five demands the US has put to SA; and that the relationship is therefore in a deadlock. The recent developments have reinforced those conclusions. Relations are now more frigid than they were in March.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:24:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>731213</a_id>
        <updated>1790757509</updated>
        <published>1790756640</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001302722_resized_jplandman20241022.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title>JP Landman</image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>#LGE2026: Seven claims from the DA’s election manifesto fact-checked</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/lge2026-seven-claims-from-the-das-election-manifesto-fact-checked-2026-09-28</link>
            <description><![CDATA[South Africans will vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. Survey data from Afrobarometer suggests that unemployment, crime, water and electricity are among voters’ main concerns.  These are also among the main issues the Democratic Alliance (DA) is campaigning on. The party's election manifesto sets out how it plans to improve water supply, keep the lights on and make communities safer, among other priorities. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:45:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>731072</a_id>
        <updated>1790603388</updated>
        <published>1790603100</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001302244_resized_africacheck1022.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>What South Africa’s major parties are promising voters in the 2026 local elections</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/what-south-africas-major-parties-are-promising-voters-in-the-2026-local-elections-2026-09-25</link>
            <description><![CDATA[South Africans vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. From water and electricity to refuse collection and roads, local government is the sphere of government that most directly affects daily life. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:11:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730964</a_id>
        <updated>1790323973</updated>
        <published>1790323860</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Africa  Check</editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001301899_resized_africacheck1022.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Johannesburg tests solar microgrids for informal settlements</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/johannesburg-tests-solar-microgrids-for-informal-settlements-2026-09-23</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Johannesburg is investing R517.8-million in solar-powered microgrids that roll out renewable energy in five informal settlements, Thabo Molelekwa reports. Johannesburg is turning to solar power and battery storage to address one of the city’s most persistent electricity challenges: how to provide safe, reliable and legal electricity to informal settlements where conventional grid connections are not viable.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:08:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730889</a_id>
        <updated>1790588944</updated>
        <published>1790165280</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001301597_resized_untitled23september2026at141420.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>GUIDE: How to see through political spin before South Africa’s November 2026 election</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/guide-how-to-see-through-political-spin-before-south-africas-november-2026-election-2026-09-08</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Political parties have been launching manifestos and local government campaigns   Many of these claims contain real numbers and verifiable achievements. But a claim does not need to be false to mislead. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:53:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>729670</a_id>
        <updated>1788857789</updated>
        <published>1788857580</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Africa  Check</editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001297685_resized_africacheck1022.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Sasol’s carbon colossus is a killer, says report</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/sasols-carbon-colossus-is-a-killer-says-report-2026-09-08</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A new research report estimates that air pollution from the Secunda energy complex causes about 23,800 years of life lost annually. Tulani Ngwenya investigates. For decades residents of eMbalenhle, a large township in Govan Mbeki Municipality in Mpumalanga, have lived and died in the plumes of Sasol’s Secunda plant.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:47:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>729669</a_id>
        <updated>1788857556</updated>
        <published>1788857220</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001297682_resized_untitled08september2026at105147.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title>Sasol’s Secunda complex</image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Hope for green hydrogen in the balance</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/hope-for-green-hydrogen-in-the-balance-2026-08-28</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A proposed R47-billion development in Hopefield could become a proving ground for the Western Cape’s green hydrogen ambitions. Barry Christianson investigates Every year as spring approaches, the annual Fynbos Show held in Hopefield draws thousands of tourists to this critically biodiverse region in the Western Cape.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 14:52:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>728999</a_id>
        <updated>1787922207</updated>
        <published>1787921520</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001295744_resized_untitled28august2026at150259.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Diffused accountability is often fertile ground for rent-seeking </title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/diffused-accountability-is-often-fertile-ground-for-rent-seeking-2026-08-19</link>
            <description><![CDATA[At the constitutional and governance level, the Presidency cannot simply treat Eskom as an autonomous private corporation. The national energy system, economic growth, fiscal risk, and electricity security are all issues of national public policy. The President and Cabinet therefore have a legitimate interest in Eskom's strategic direction. The crucial question is how that influence is exercised, through which institutions, and in whose interests. The deeper question posed by the current governance crisis is whether formal governance structures remain in place while effective decision-making is dispersed and contested due to the frequent intervention of executives, boards, ministers, political actors, regulators, and private market participants.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:19:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>728240</a_id>
        <updated>1787131778</updated>
        <published>1787131140</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001293546_resized_flagswiththeeskomlogo1123bloomberg1022.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>A proven solution to South Africa’s high school STEAM gaps is already reaching 2 050 learners</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/a-proven-solution-to-south-africas-high-school-steam-gaps-is-already-reaching-2-050-learners-2026-08-18</link>
            <description><![CDATA[South Africa’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) teacher shortage has dominated the conversation, but the focus has mostly stayed on the crisis. A parliamentary response from the Department of Basic Education revealed that 464 public schools do not offer Mathematics, with shortages of qualified Mathematics teachers among the reasons cited while the most recent published national infrastructure data showed that 82.4% of public schools had no laboratories and 74% had ...]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>728117</a_id>
        <updated>1787039442</updated>
        <published>1787004000</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001293144_resized_untitled18august2026at0946301.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Illegal mining impact on infrastructure and the economy</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/illegal-mining-impact-on-infrastructure-and-the-economy-2026-08-14</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In South Africa, policy formulation is often based on inaccurate questions. The policy question of addressing illegal mining needs to be approached differently from the usual "Illegal mining is a crime; therefore, suppress it” framework. South Africa has a historical precedent: a largely agrarian economy was once converted into an industrial economy through mineral extraction. A significant portion of the current informal/illegal mining sector operates outside of that industrial structure, which presents a current difficulty. Therefore, the policy question is not whether illicit mining should continue to be illegal – it shouldn't – but rather how to integrate small-scale and genuine artisanal mining into the formal economy while actively combating organised criminal mining. That distinction is significant.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:22:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>727900</a_id>
        <updated>1786709926</updated>
        <published>1786699320</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001292571_resized_illegalminersstilfonteinminers15012025reuters1022.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
