The th!nc Foundation

There are questions that South Africans find difficult to answer about their politics. The most crucial question is whether the country has arrived at a post-ANC governing party state.  South Africa’s constitutional order is paraded, legitimately so, as one of the best in the world. As an order, it has been able to provide political stability for the past three decades. What has not been tested is its resilience in the event that there is no one party with the absolute political power to form a government.  Like any good system, the order sent signals of the uncertainty that might come with a less than 50% of the votes threshold at the national government through the experience in local government. When political power started changing hands in most of the economic nodal points of RSA in 2016 and 2021, respectively, the constitutional order entered a continuous phase of uncertainty that culminated in the May 2024 moment.    With the loss of absolute political control...

When two former ANCYL presidents, with a combined experience of over 60 person-years as national leaders, call for the NEC, of which they are members, to resign, it is a seismic event. This signifies a monumental shift within the NEC, which we might see the full extent of at the mooted December 2025 National General Council of the ANC. These eruptions open the muted leadership debate within the ANC, raising questions about the calibre, breed, or character of individuals needed to ensure the organisation’s survival in the current times.  The new era, a post-Ramaphosa reality, will undoubtedly be shaped by increased multipartyism and a more diffuse state executive authority. Voters’ power will determine who is suitable to lead South Africa. The reputations of leaders or individuals within political parties will be weaponised to move voters away from established political brands. This necessitates a fresh leadership approach, one that is responsive to the changing political landscape....

This was published in TimesLive on 08 August 2025 The poet Khalil Gibran writes, "Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they belong with you, they belong not to you". This is a synoptic capitulation of the conundrum of being an influential, primarily political, asset of society and a parent to your children.    If you are a politician, particularly a Black South African politician, what may seem like the pinnacle of your career could turn into a burden for your children. The idea that human career advancement relies on connections, including those with parents, does not necessarily apply to the children of political leaders and figures. While most parents' children must cultivate relationships to build their social capital, this can become a double-edged sword for the children of politicians.   Every business school and business literature emphasises ...

Published in TimesLive on 30 July 2025 as South Africa , are we informed? South Africa faces a difficult decision due to a series of demands from US President Donald Trump to restore RSA-US trade relations . The conditions set by the US challenge the core principles of the dominant post- apartheid transformation paradigm, which considers them essential to the liberation struggle. Black economic empowerment and land restitution as national grievances are high on the agenda of post-liberation political commitments.  Failure or capitulation by the ANC to meet these two core demands essentially redefines it as a liberation movement. It would be hard to imagine ANC political rhetoric without referencing land and economic empowerment. The ANC's history is characterised by pursuing land restitution and economic inclusion. Its most threatening political opponents lie in wait to push these two issues as a programme.    Among the US demands, what has proven to be the mos...