Pierre de Vos

Special Edition: A Questionable War of Choice (February 28, 2026) The United States launched a major armed attack on Iran Saturday, striking military and political targets throughout the country.

"A world in which countries believe they have the right to undertake preventive strikes against those they judge to be threats would be a world of frequent conflict. That is why such actions have no standing under international law." open.substack.com/pub/richardh...

How ‘Heated Rivalry’ Thawed the Chill Between My Father and Me

How ‘Heated Rivalry’ Thawed the Chill Between My Father and Me www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/s...

'I refute the allegations' — Ekurhuleni HR boss denies protecting Mkhwanazi The testimony of Linda Gxasheka, the suspended head of human resources at the City of Ekurhuleni, points to systemic governance failures within the metro.…

‘I refute the allegations’ — Ekurhuleni HR boss denies protecting Mkhwanazi www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Goliath to appeal against high court judgment that shut the door on Venice Biennale Artist Gabrielle Goliath will appeal against a high court ruling upholding Arts Minister Gayton McKenzie’s cancellation of her Venice Biennale participation, with an artwork called Elegy, which addres...

Artist Gabrielle Goliath takes on Gayton McKenzie in appeal against high court judgment www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Why 15% of South African third graders can’t read a single word — and what’s being done about it With national reading goals slipping out of reach, a new report reveals the stark reality of South Africa’s literacy crisis and how proactive provinces and private donors are teaming up to save a gene...

Sjoe: Why 15% of South African Grade 3s can’t read a single word — and what’s being done about it www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Convicted fraudster appointed as Free State hospital CEO | News24 Sources expose how political networks led to a convicted fraudster being appointed as a hospital CEO.

🔒Convicted fraudster appointed as Free State hospital CEO www.news24.com/citypress/po...

Joburg’s ward committees have collapsed — residents forced to govern themselves Residents’ committees have replaced ward committees in Johannesburg, deepening inequality.…

Joburg’s ward committees have collapsed — residents forced to govern themselves www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

The ANC won’t, and can’t, arrest its decline in Gauteng With local elections expected later this year, the ANC in Gauteng is weaker than it’s ever been. Many of the problems have piled up over the years, but key to so many of them is political infighting, ...

The ANC won’t, and can’t, arrest its decline in Gauteng www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

As the ANC self-immolates, Zille and Mashaba seize race for Joburg’s future From Dada to Gogo to Homeboy: The fight for Johannesburg just got very interesting.…

As the ANC self-immolates, Zille and Mashaba seize race for Joburg’s future www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

How Cape Town's municipal bills are outrunning its middle-class residents Cape Town homeowners who do not qualify for income-linked rebates are paying municipal bills that have significantly outpaced inflation and salary increases over the past decade as a result of spirall...

How Cape Town's municipal bills are outrunning its middle-class residents www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

LUKE FELTHAM | Gambling advertising ― how to kill a fantasy The trade, industry & competition department is planning to tighten advertising

🔒LUKE FELTHAM | Gambling advertising ― how to kill a fantasy www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026...

Johannesburg Master’s Office: allegations of corruption and incompetence “If you don’t pay the cooldrink money, your things are not going to get done”

Johannesburg Master’s Office: allegations of corruption and incompetence. "There is this perception that if you don’t pay the cool drink money, your things are not going to get done". groundup.org.za/article/joha...

The staggering cost of wrongful arrests Thousands of claims against SAPS cost R620-million in 2024/25

Unlawful arrests or detentions cost the South African Police Service (SAPS) over R620-million in 2024/25, according to an answer in Parliament by Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia.

Read groundup.org.za/article/the-... by GroundUp and The Outilier.

Why is racism bad? - Daily Friend Allow me to butt into the conversation on whether racism is bad by offering a reason why it is always bad.

There is a revealing (and, to me, somewhat bizarre) debate raging over at the Daily Friend, the online newspaper of the Institute of Race Relations, about whether racism is always bad. dailyfriend.co.za/2026/02/20/w...

What is antisemitism? And who gets to decide what it is?

"The persistent conflation of the IHRA definition of Jewishness with Zionism harms not only Palestinians but also Jewish people, by suggesting that the illegal and abusive actions of the State of Israel are inherently Jewish — an antisemitic notion." groundup.org.za/article/what...

Billionaires Gone Wild Understanding the oligarchs’ power grab and the dire threat to American democracy

Paul Krugman: Billionaires Gone Wild.
In the US, a 100 billionaire families poured a record-breaking $2.6 billion into federal elections in 2024, one of every six dollars spent altogether by all candidates, parties and committees. open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

Pam Golding, SA lawyers — R110m in bribe payments to a President’s son Pam Golding Properties and SA law firm Jouberts Attorneys collectively managed R110.9-million, which turned out to be bribe payments to former Mozambican president Armando Guebuza’s son, Ndambi – a po...

Pam Golding Properties and SA law firm Jouberts Attorneys collectively managed R110.9-million, which turned out to be bribe payments to former Mozambican president Armando Guebuza’s son, Ndambi – a possible violation of their legal obligations. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Until we are prepared to ask what education is for beyond employability—what kind of human good it serves, and what kind of society it presupposes—the university will continue to oscillate between managerial optimization and existential doubt. africasacountry.com/list/campaig...

Protests over fee blocks disrupt start of academic year at UCT The University of Cape Town was thrown into turmoil on the first day of the academic year as students blocked campus entrances, including the M3 access in Rondebosch, protesting against fee blocks, st...

UCT registration disrupted as students demand end to fee blocks. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

Gaby Wood · At the Movies: ‘The Secret Agent’ Like Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here, which had a similarly successful run last year, The Secret Agent is set during...

Lesson for AfriSol and their angry and unhinged fans: “It’s not that there aren’t real things to worry about. It’s that what you don’t know or can’t remember or will not face haunts you more. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Single dose of potent psychedelic drug could help treat depression, trial shows Researchers find DMT – used in shamanic rituals – in tandem with psychotherapy has significant effect

Sounds about right: Single dose of potent psychedelic drug could help treat depression, trial shows. Psychedelics are thought to help people break entrenched and unhelpful patterns of thinking. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Single dose of potent psychedelic drug could help treat depression, trial shows Researchers find DMT – used in shamanic rituals – in tandem with psychotherapy has significant effect

Single dose of potent psychedelic drug could help treat depression, trial shows. Psychedelics are thought to enhance the effects of psychotherapy by helping people break entrenched and unhelpful patterns of thinking. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

CHRIS ROPER: Pitiful pandering to the Trump totem It might not have worked for the South Pacific islanders, but Ernst Roets is trying the old cargo cult tricks as he tries to manufacture a Charlie Kirk connection that will get him into the MAGA crowd...

CHRIS ROPER: Pitiful pandering to the Trump totem. Ernst Roets knows how to curry favour in Washington and hopefully get his share of the dollars flowing to right-wing crazies around the world. www.financialmail.businessday.co.za/features/202...

Pierre de Vos | South Africans should fear another SANDF deployment | News24 While President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to deploy soldiers against gang violence and re-vet police leadership may sound promising, the SANDF’s brutal Covid-era abuses and the State Security Agency’s co...

🔒Pierre de Vos | South Africans should fear another SANDF deployment www.news24.com/opinions/ana...

Phillip de Wet | The water crisis was never a secret – you just didn’t want to know | News24 That the water crisis didn’t get proper attention more than a decade ago is the fault of neither the experts nor the messengers, writes Phillip de Wet.

🔒"The problem had a distinct economic segmentation to it, with poorer rural people hit way harder. Urban people would inevitably be next, but they weren't interested in worrying about tomorrow's problem today." www.news24.com/opinions/col...

Judge accused of theft spends two years on special leave, with no formal complaint lodged | News24 A Free State judge has spent the last two years on special leave pending criminal charges. His attempts to stay the prosecution have been dismissed, but there appears to have been no inquiry into his ...

🔒Judge accused of theft spends two years on special leave, with no formal complaint lodged www.news24.com/southafrica/...

Imogen Mashazi’s glitzy London shopping spree and R3.5m private jet flit | News24 Former Ekurhuleni city manager Imogen Mashazi embarked on a London shopping frolic, and her chartered private jet cost R3.5 million – exceeding her R3.1 million annual salary. Exclusive documents reve...

🔒Imogen Mashazi’s glitzy London shopping spree and R3.5m private jet flight. www.news24.com/investigatio...

President deploys soldiers to gang-infested Western Cape President Cyril Ramaphosa has resolved to deploy soldiers to communities under siege from gangsters in the Western Cape and illegal mining activities in Gauteng.

Likely to end badly. Remember Collins Khosa? President deploys soldiers to gang-infested Western Cape www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-02...

Blow for Eastern Cape Department of Health as SCA overturns ‘saviour judgment’ In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Appeal has reinstated lump sum damages for patients, but specifically for children harmed by medical negligence, highlighting the inadequacies of public he...

The SCA reverses High Court judgement that the DOH can provide health services to a patient who has harmed by its negligence, instead of paying multimillion-rand settlement amounts for future medical expenses, as it “violated the child’s best interests”. www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

A Sona for (almost) all — Ramaphosa’s masterclass in political crowd-pleasing Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address delivers a political balancing act, addressing diverse interests while avoiding contentious issues, showcasing the art of subtle governance.…

A Sona for (almost) all?
“Which brings us to the losers of the evening: the AfriSol lobby for the white right. The 2026 Sona will be remembered in certain circles as the evening this grouping discovered it has no clothes.”
www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...