Zambia’s Messy but Decisive Election: Government Shows Strength; Democracy Shows Weakness
How the re-elected government uses its new dominance will influence Zambian politics well beyond this election.
Government
Transfer of Rebecca Street Crematorium Halted
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) believes that the Tshwane Metro’s Department of Regional Operations and Coordination is already struggling to manage several cemeteries and will not be able to take on a crematorium as well. The Freedom Front Plus on Thursday rejected a proposal to transfer the management of the Rebecca Street Crematorium, located […]
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Governments Shouldn’t Rely on AI to Decide Who Gets a Social Grant: Inside a South African Court Case
Automated systems need to be watched carefully to ensure they are in fact operating in the public interest.
Returning Bones to Madagascar Doesn’t Just Right a Colonial Wrong: Why a Royal Skull Still Has Power
Royal relics in Madagascar confer legitimacy on rulers.
How Lagos Pioneers Built a Vibrant Yoruba Print Culture in the 1920s – At the Height of Colonialism
English was imposed as Nigeria’s official language, but the British had no way of controlling what people did with it.
Review Decision Regarding Knysna’s Acting Municipal Manager
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) calls on Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, to urgently approach the High Court with an application to review and set aside the Knysna municipal Council’s unlawful decision to extend Mr Boy Manqoba Ngubo’s appointment as acting Municipal Manager. Mr Ngubo was initially appointed as acting Municipal […]
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Is Afrikaans a Dialect?
Is Afrikaans a dialect? This is the question that DF Malherbe sought to answer in 1907 with his doctoral thesis at a German university; 32 years after the founding of the “Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners” (Society of True Afrikaners), which is commemorated today on Afrikaans “Taaldag” (Language Day). It was but one of many small […]
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How Can Governments Tackle Poverty When Climate Change, Conflict and Economic Shocks Hit All at Once?
Crises that add up on top of each other have to be addressed in an integrated way.
Death of 16-Year-Old on N2 Hell Run Serves as Tragic Wake-up Call
The death of a 16-year-old robber on the N2 serves as tragic proof that the so-called “Hell Run” still poses a serious danger to motorists as well as young people exploited by crime syndicates. Although there has been a decrease in incidents after the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) repeatedly demanded stronger security measures, the […]
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Eastern Cape Name Changes Are Unnecessary, Divisive and Politically Motivated
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is strongly opposed to the proposed name changes of towns and geographical sites in the Eastern Cape. The latest document issued by the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee confirms that the Committee will proceed with the process of changing the names of, among others, Lady Grey to Inkosi […]
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Foot-Dragging Hinders Clearing of Grobbelaars River
The successful clearing and repair efforts after the recent floods in Meiringspoort, Middelplaas and the De Rust area prove that decisive action and collaboration between the Oudtshoorn Municipality and the Western Cape government are indeed possible. The same swift response and will are, however, lacking when it comes to Grobbelaars River in Oudtshoorn. The Freedom […]
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Zambia Votes: Who’s Who and What Issues Are Shaping the Elections?
The country is likely to have a much stronger opposition to contend with after the 2026 polls.
Wind and Solar Projects in Kenya and South Africa Don’t Always Benefit the Communities That Host Them – Study
In South Africa and Kenya, some green energy projects have deprived local communities of land and livelihoods instead of sharing the benefits.
Climbing Costs of Albertinia Swimming Pool
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) calls on the Hessequa Municipality to clarify the planned construction of a new swimming pool in Albertinia and the actual costs involved. This project, currently under construction in Albertyn Street behind Oker Primary School, was initially estimated at approximately R15 million, but according to a report in the local […]
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City of Cape Town’s Intergovernmental Dispute Over Police Powers Is a Step in the Right Direction
The City of Cape Town’s decision to formally declare an intergovernmental dispute in order to devolve policing and investigative powers to its Metro Police is a step in the right direction towards combating crime more effectively. During last week’s council meeting on the Directorate for Safety and Security’s quarterly report, the Freedom Front Plus (VF […]
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What Gabon’s Rating Downgrade Tells Us About How Sovereign Credit Worthiness Is Judged
Sovereign creditworthiness is interpreted and reassessed through several overlapping evaluations.
Urgent Steps Demanded to Address Health Crisis in Matjhabeng
The ongoing sewage problems in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality have escalated into a serious health crisis. The Municipality is directly responsible for the outbreak of diseases as it is allowing untreated sewage to spill into natural resources, streets and even residents’ properties. In the last two weeks, there were cases where young children reportedly fell […]
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South Africa’s Privacy Laws Are Evolving, but Vulnerable People Are Being Left Behind
Privacy protection must also be a conversation that reflects the lived realities of vulnerable communities.
Ekurhuleni’s Official Media Statement Contradicts Its Financial Statements
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) questions the discrepancy between the financial picture painted by the Ekurhuleni Metro in a recent public statement and the figures in the Metro’s unaudited financial and performance results for the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, tabled to the Council on Thursday. According to the Metro’s statement, published […]
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Plettenberg Bay Robbed of Its Arts Festival
It is disappointing and unacceptable that the Bitou Municipality dragged its feet in appointing a new tourism service provider. Consequently, the Plett Arts Festival cannot take place this year. The mandate of the Plettenberg Bay Tourism Association lapsed on 30 June 2026. The Municipality undertook to award the new tourism services tender by 1 July, […]
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Nairobi’s Largest Informal Settlement Is Getting an Upgrade. But Who Will Actually Benefit From New Apartments?
The success of Kibera’s transformation will not be measured by the number of apartment blocks completed.
Govan Mbeki Residents Still Without Water
It is unacceptable that many communities in the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality have been without water for more than ten days following Rand Water’s planned maintenance work, which was specifically intended to improve the long-term reliability of the region’s water supply. This predicament focuses the spotlight on the Municipality’s ageing infrastructure, inadequate emergency planning and […]
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Practical Recovery Plan for Sol Plaatje Proposed
Theo Joubert, MPL and chairperson of the Local Government Committee in the Northern Cape Legislature, proposed a comprehensive recovery plan for Sol Plaatje at a recent public meeting in Kimberley. The Sol Plaatje Municipality, which includes the provincial capital Kimberley, has been in a serious governance crisis for months. It follows decades of mismanagement as […]
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How Can Rural Communities Benefit From South Africa’s Green Energy Transition?
Solar farms can bring jobs, but the story of one South African community shows that rural residents who give up their land need more say in how benefits are shared.