The National Treasury announced that Finance Minister Enoch Gondongwana would re-table the 2025 revised Budget on May 21. The announcement came three days after Gondongwana’s withdrawal of his earlier Budget, which included the contentious proposal to increase VAT by 0,5%.
The High Court reserved judgment on the DA’s legal challenge to the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which the party said imposes unconstitutional racial quotas that harm minorities and threaten economic growth. The case looked set to place further strain on the already fragile Government of National Unity (GNU).
Unemployment in South Africa rose by a full percentage point in the first quarter of 2025, with the economy shedding 291,000 jobs. Only 16,8 million South Africans were now employed, down from 17,1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Despite the choreographed theatrics and humiliating spectacle staged by Donald Trump at their White House meeting, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s team, which included golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, successfully reset relations, paving the way for future trade opportunities with South Africa’s second-largest trading partner.
Several Economic Freedom Front (EFF) members, including party leader Julius Malema, were forcibly removed from the National Assembly for disruptive behaviour during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Question and Answer session. Earlier, Malema had vowed he would not be intimidated by Donald Trump, after the US President played a video of him chanting “Kill the Boer” during his White House meeting with Ramaphosa.
Floyd Shivambu became the latest high-profile casualty in the uMkhonto we-Sizwe (MK) Party when he was removed from his powerful post as Secretary-General just a week after fellow EFF defector Mzwanele Manyi was fired as Chief Whip in Parliament.
As wind, cold, and rain left a trail of destruction across KwaZulu-Natal and the country, US President Donald Trump continued to cause havoc across the globe, including Africa, with his tariffs and unpredictable policies.
With most of the world’s nuclear-armed states continuing to modernise their arsenals and the Middle East conflict escalating as Israel and Iran launched missiles at each other, the world became a more dangerous place than it had been for decades.
The entry of the United States into the Israel–Iran conflict created a huge headache for the South African government. While the country had always enjoyed warm diplomatic relations with Tehran, it could not risk further alienating the Trump administration, given that the relationship was already on life support.
One of the more worrying features of the shaky era we are living in has been a rising tide of authoritarianism, accompanied, in some instances, by a resurrection of many old white supremacist tropes, which date back to Charles Darwin’s time. It was Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton, who came up with the concept of eugenics, which popularised the view that races were real entities and that different races were unequal. His ideas gained widespread currency and were supported by many prominent figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Winston Churchill. On a more sinister note, they would also be latched onto by Hitler and the Nazis with their endless preoccupation with “the Jewish question”- how to rid Europe of the Jews – that led, ultimately, to the gas chambers.
The horrors of the Holocaust forced white supremacist ideas into retreat, but they didn’t disappear altogether. South Africa, for one, instituted its policy of apartheid that centred on its notions of separate racial cultures and separate racial frameworks. Behind all this was the belief that whites were inherently superior to blacks and should effectively control the reins of power. This line of reasoning led to the Group Areas Act, under which 3,5 million African and ‘Çoloured’ people were forcibly removed from their homes to make way for whites.
As usual, however, it is to America that we must turn for the big story about race and politics. Nowadays, geneticists say there is little scientific evidence to support theories of race difference. This hasn’t stopped them from finding a new protagonist in Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, whose obsession with refugees, immigrants and declining birth rates has seen the normalisation of what were once regarded as fringe views. Their fears about America being swamped by violent, criminal gangs and getting engulfed in ethnic conflict are, in turn, directly linked to populist Great Replacement thinking – the conspiracy narrative, first espoused by the French author Renaud Camus, that there is a secret plot, masterminded by some mysterious elite, to replace white populations in white-majority countries.
The growing influence of social media has led to a proliferation of alt-right sites and the widespread dissemination of their views, as well as the spreading of doomsday scenarios of a looming white genocide. (with some – including Donald Trump himself – pointing to what is allegedly happening in South Africa, even though these claims are not backed up by any solid evidence). Underlying a lot of it is a profound nastiness which has led, at the extreme end, to the emergence of lone white-male killers who hope that their violent actions will provoke civil war.
South African-born author, Gavin Evans, who grew up under the old National Party regime, with its policy of “separate development”, has made an in-depth study of this subject. In his eloquent, compelling and, at times, alarming book, he succeeds superbly in teasing out the links between the old ideas about eugenics and today’s Great Replacement theories. His conclusions are, by no means, all doom and gloom, however. Despite the growth of the alt-right, the frequency of race-motivated murders, the revival of race science and the election of right-wing politicians, research has shown that racial prejudice is, in fact, declining, especially where communities have become more integrated and people are exposed to other cultures, ideas and ways of life. There are still, however, powerful forces pushing the idea of “race realism”.
Topical, relevant and full of insights, White Supremacy deserves to be read by a wide audience.
published by Bloomsbury.
We live in an age of economic anxiety and instability. The cost of living continues to rise, real wages are in decline, and jobs are becoming increasingly scarce. Many people feel gloomy and fearful about the future. Trust is in deficit.
In this shrewd, thoughtful and hard-hitting polemic, author Ash Sarkar tackles the obvious question: how did we get here? Her essential conclusion is that we have allowed ourselves to become victims in a classic case of misdirection. Instead of confronting the big issue of our day – the unprecedented transfer of wealth from ordinary citizens and consumers to the very rich, the huge corporations and the oligarchs we have allowed ourselves to become sucked into a phony game of grievance politics. The whole concept of “culture wars” has been deliberately stoked to redirect attention away from the structural causes of our current economic hardships towards more nebulous feelings of cultural resentment. In this scenario, various minority groups are blamed for all the world’s ills.
An obvious example is the transgender issue, where the sexual leanings of a tiny minority of society are blown out of all proportion and presented as a form of contagion which will undermine the moral welfare of the majority. In a similar vein, we have the promotion of conspiracy theories, like the Great Replacement narrative – so popular amongst alt-right groups – which postulates that there is some sort of sinister plot to replace slow-breeding whites with immigrants from other racial groups.
Politicians like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage have become experts at whipping up fear and speculation and turning these once-fringe issues into mainstream ones. Other politicians have displayed a similar cynicism and hypocrisy. While professing concern for the poor, they are willing partners in a system that continues to enrich the extremely wealthy.
To an extent, the left has made it easier for them. Rather than looking at the larger issues facing society, they have become obsessed with policing what people say and whether it can be construed as an assault on someone’s personhood. Society has become divided into narrow subcultures, each defending its own turf. We have become mired in niche controversies.
At the other end of the spectrum, right-wing culture warriors seized on this to promote the vision of a ‘forgotten’ majority who have been socially gagged and culturally marginalised because of this focus on minority rights. As the author notes, the most trifling of conflicts get framed within much weightier battles of values, ideologies or identity positions with hundreds of talking heads pontificating about them”(she cites the case of Will Smith slapping the comedian Chris Rock)
Sarkar is a spry, pithy and impressively agile critic, and her well-argued book is very much a call to arms. While not suggesting that we ignore the injustices of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, her main point is that we need to be aware of the tectonic economic and geopolitical shifts that are taking place all around us. At a time when ordinary citizens struggle with financial, health and housing insecurity, a huge wealth grab is taking place right under our noses, which erodes our rights and threatens to impoverish us still further…
Forming a great barrier that stretches for more than 1000 kilometres from the Eastern Cape province in the south through to Mpumalanga in the north and marking the western border for large chunks of KwaZulu-Natal, the Drakensberg is South Africa’s highest and most iconic range of mountains. From its base, one’s eyes are drawn irresistibly up its valleys to the massive, imposing cliffs and the jagged peaks which earn it its Zulu name, uKhahlamba, which translates to “barrier of spears.”
There are few people alive who know the Drakensberg as well or have photographed it as extensively as Malcolm L. Pearse. Raised in its foothills, from an early age, they have played a dominant role in his life. Like most children brought up in such an environment, he responded instinctively to the beauty of the dramatic scenery he found himself enmeshed in. The mountains imprinted themselves on him, became a place of the heart, a sanctuary he would be drawn back to again and again, as if pulled by some invisible force. His passion for its rugged terrain and breathtaking scenery was encouraged by his father, the well-known Reg Pearse, who authored three books on the subject, including the classic Barrier of Spears
Having spent a lifetime exploring and photographing them, Pearse brings the full force of his love and understanding to bear in this handsomely produced hardcover book. Writing in a chatty and informal style, he has produced a series of vivid chapters and vignettes which capture his relationship with the mountains, as well as revealing their unique character. Whether writing of nights spent sleeping under the stars (and the Drakensberg is a perfect place to view the night sky in all its glory) or of joining friends on long hikes he has the ability to draw readers into the experience through his descriptions of them.
As an experienced climber, Pearse is well aware of the mountain’s changeable moods and the danger they can pose to climbers. In summer, it is notorious for its ferocious thunderstorms. The weather can be hot and sultry in the morning and then suddenly change, in the afternoon, as dark thunderclouds roll over the mountains and the air becomes alive with electrical activity. In winter, it is often swept by snowstorms which presents its own challenges to those caught in them.
For thousands of years, the Drakensberg’s valleys provided a home for the San/Bushmen, a hunter/gatherer community who lived in close harmony with nature. The evidence of their occupation can still be seen in the exquisite rock paintings they left behind. The book contains many fine examples of these.
The remainder of Pearse’s tome is devoted to his exploration of other famous African landmarks. He covers a range of landscapes from the desert sands of the Sahara to the snows of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s near-mythical, stand-alone, highest mountain. In the process, he captures a comprehensive microcosm of the continent he so obviously loves. There is also a chapter on waterfalls and another one on volcanoes (including their two most active – Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira)
While Pearse admits the Drakensberg will always hold prime place in his heart, each one of these scenic wonders presents its own chaotic and edgy version of nature and appeals to his wanderlust and love of wild places.
Written, in a sense, as a tribute to his father, All the Hills are Home is a success in organisation, as well as observation. Heavy in the hand, lavishly illustrated with his beautiful photographs and rife with gleaned insights, it captures the rugged grandeur of these untamed wildernesses. His enthusiasm and knowledge (and the accompanying photographs) makes you want to grab your backpack and head out into the wilds yourself.
published by Struik Nature
With the world in such a gloomy state, the need to seek out solace in some happier, more bucolic space has never seemed more urgent. To do so, you don’t, in fact, need to go further, geographically, than a few steps out of your front (or back) door and into your garden. There, you can create what you are looking for.
If yours is an uninspiring, neglected mess, this comprehensive and telling, large-format book will give you all the information and practical help you need to turn it into an indigenous paradise, where you can escape – if only temporarily – from the woes of the world. Stuffed full of beautiful images of gardens and individual plants, its introduction lays the groundwork, covering climate, various garden styles, spatial planning and garden maintenance, and offers suggestions for attracting wildlife to the garden.
In South Africa, we are particularly lucky, too, to have one of the highest densities of plant species in the world, so there is plenty of scope to find the options that will suit your garden and needs best, whether it be formal or informal, big or small. The book introduces gardeners to over 2000 species of both familiar and unfamiliar species, pairing full colour photographs with brief descriptions that cover size, shape, flowering times and best growing conditions. The book also includes a handy Plant Selector, which helps gardeners choose the most appropriate plants for specific areas or functions in their garden or home.
All three authors are well-known experts in their fields with many publications and years of experience tucked behind them. As one would expect from such pros, the book is accessibly written and light in tone, but packed with information and authoritative advice, all mouthwatering presented. More than just a standard manual, South African Indigenous Garden Plants is a source of inspiration and should reignite that basic desire to return to a more natural, harmonious way of life. Although there have been many excellent gardening books produced in the past, it looks destined to become the standard and most authoritative work on the subject for years to come.
Faced with skyrocketing debt, an underperforming economy, and unrealised forecasts, Finance Minister Enoch Gondongwana returned to the drawing board after his 2025 Budget, which proposed a 2% VAT increase, was rejected.
Following its poor performance in the 2024 general election, the ANC announced a new reconfigured leadership structure in KwaZulu-Natal – a move which caused a rise in tensions within the party because it favoured President Ramaphosa’s allies.
With some of the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) partners opposing it, Finance Minister Enoch Gondongwana’s proposed budget, which included a controversial VAT hike, faced significant parliamentary challenges due to the ANC’s lack of a majority.
In response to the US government’s expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed he was not deterred by the recent tensions between the two countries. He believed the historic relationship would “outlive the current bumpy patch.”
EFF leader Julius Malema ignited fresh controversy after leading the “Kill the Boer” struggle song at a Human Rights Day rally. This time, US President Donald Trump entered the fray, lambasting South Africa in a strongly worded statement, thus stoking an already tense atmosphere between the two countries following the recent expulsion of the SA Ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool.
Against the backdrop of President Trump’s punitive tariffs against South Africa, the GNU came unstuck over the National Assembly’s vote on the Budget’s fiscal framework.
Winds of accountability swept through Msunduzi City Hall as a high-level intervention team, led by former Finance MEC Ravi Pillay, began its work.
Just weeks after publicly welcoming a provincial investigation into Msunduzi Municipality and calling for the “best investigators”, Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla asked for the probe to be halted…
In response to mounting pressure against it, the Treasury issued an overnight statement announcing that Finance Minister Enoch Gondongwana would be reversing the decision to hike VAT.
In March 2025, I made my fifth journey, in as many years, to Mtentu. Purpose of journey: to attend a 21st birthday party, organised by that intrepid pair of African travellers, Ian and Mandy Tyrer. My memory of that milestone in my life is so vague, I needed to be reminded why it is important. This time, instead of walking in, we had decided to spare ourselves some tired legs and catch a local taxi. Given the state of the Transkei roads, I am not convinced it was any wiser a decision.
Traffic jam, on the road to Mtentu.
Still, the scenery was magnificent. The road led us over a roller-coaster of hills, topped by ridges of weathered rock and cut by deep ravines, over grassy balds, from which you could catch occasional glimpses of the Indian Ocean, glimmering in the east, a sliver of silver beyond the verdant green. Patches of indigenous forest clung to some of the river valleys, but most of the trees had long ago been felled, leaving vast stretches of open grassland. In places, small parcels of land had been cleared to grow a few straggly-looking mielies and other food crops, the cultivation of which was left mostly to the women.
As we drove, goats raised their heads and stared querulously at us from the roadside. Cattle grazed on the hillsides. Here, as elsewhere in South Africa, they have always been at the core of traditional culture, a symbol of both status and wealth. And, of course, a source of food.
The further we travelled towards our destination, the worse the road got. Our driver was obviously accustomed to the challenges and navigated each obstacle with practised skill. At about fifteen kilometres before our destination, we swapped our mode of transport, abandoning the relative comfort of the minibus taxi to get crammed, sardine-like, into the back of a covered bakkie. This exchange of vehicles seemed to coincide with a further deterioration in the road, over which the new driver now proceeded with painstaking deliberateness.
Bumping along, we eventually crested a ridge, which afforded us a long view over the coastline.
What struck me most about it, as on my previous trips, was the almost complete absence of habitation directly on the shoreline. Perhaps this reluctance to build there stems, partly, from an awe for the almost supernatural power of the sea, with its wild, angry winds and ferocious storms. There is another reason, however. Because of its history as a supposedly “independent” Bantustan under the old National Party government, the Transkei mostly escaped the unbridled development and continuous ugly urban sprawl which is now the predominant feature of so much of the South African coastline.
The road continued its winding descent. Taking a small side track off the main Mtentu Beach road, we eventually drew to a halt outside a scattering of brick, cement, wood and mud buildings. In the forefront stood our destination – the Hiking Shack – where Kelly Hein, the ever-cheerful and hospitable organiser of the Mtentu Ramble, was waiting, with a pile of fresh fruit and cold drinks, to greet us. Despite the discomforts of the journey, I could feel the place beginning to work its familiar magic over me.
That evening, I opened a quart of beer and sat outside, under a star-smattered sky. The grass was already wet with dew, the air salty with the faintest taste of wood smoke. Down below, where the land meets the sea, I could hear the relentless crashing of waves on rocky shores.
We were up just as the first hint of daylight appeared on the horizon, ready to greet the sun as it rose over the sea. We were by no means the first to do so. Others were already going about their chores.
There is a daily rhythm among all the creatures that inhabit these beautiful green hills. At around three in the morning, the village roosters do their trial run. Close to four thirty, they strike up again in unison and force their triumphant clarion calls to the rising sun, echoing across the landscape, getting picked up and echoed by every other strutting, chauvinistic, vain, peanut-brained rooster in the area. They were not alone. Outside my window, pigs grunted, dogs barked, a horse whinnied, children yelled excitedly as they got ready for school, and a bakkie spluttered into life. This was followed by the bawling of cows and the whooping and whistles of the herdsmen as they ushered their herds out into the fields.
As we sat outside, our chairs placed in a neat row, drinking coffee, dozens of Barn Swallows began congregating along the power line directly in front of us, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. It was now late March, and they were presumably psyching themselves for the long flight back to Europe. I am always sad to see them go.
Next, a legion of goats, led by an impressive old billy, sporting a fine beard and schimitar-like horns, came trooping past. From one of the three thatched rondavels on the other side of the road, a lady in a colourful dress emerged, holding a broom. Washing danced on a nearby line as if manipulated by unseen hands.
On the surface, the Pondo people, amongst whom we were now staying, appear to live simple, carefree lives, in harmony with nature. Dig a little deeper, however, and a more intricate, complex society emerges, one strictly regulated by tribal structures and bound together by custom and ritual.
After breakfast, eager to be off, we set forth, once again, into the familiar vastness of rolling grassland. We were headed southwards, on a 20-kilometre circular hike which ended up at the Mkambati Falls, a beautiful, half-amphitheatre-shaped, natural feature, which falls, in a series of steps, directly into the sea.
I love hiking. On foot, you feel the soul of Africa seeping up through your shoes. You have time to stop, stand and soak up the beauty, romance and mystery of this ancient landscape – something you can’t really do in a speeding car, train or aeroplane.
Apart from a bank of grey cloud hanging low over the ocean but the rest of it was a cloudless blue. The grassland was still a burnished gold, still blowing. Despite the early hour, the regulars were already gathering at the local shebeen, perched strategically on top of a hill, just above our shack.
Descending the winding track, we came in sight of the imposing Mtentu River Gorge, with its massive cliffs of soaring rock, stained with lichen and fringed with mangroves and indigenous forest. Where the gorge narrows and its brackish waters darken, the thick trees have the feel of jungle.
Mtentu Gorge, looking upriver.Crossing the Mtentu estuary
Here, we were obliged to hire a canoe to ferry us across the wide estuary. Once on the other side, we rounded a grassy point, where a sign marked the northern boundary of the Mkambati Nature Reserve. Amongst a vein of tumbled rocks, littered with debris and deadwood, that cut down into the sea, we came across the bleached bones of a large whale, which the waves had effortlessly tossed onto the land. Beyond the dead leviathan, a beautiful beach stretched ahead. The sand was firm and easy to walk on. It was bordered by dunes covered in wild bananas and gnarled trees, hunched down against the howling sea gales, their branches interlocked and twisted together like piles of mangled, long-legged spiders. Ahead, the rest of the group strung out along the sand. It made me think of pilgrims, on a quest for the purpose and meaning of holiness.
I was beginning to think maybe I had found it…
I walked on in soulful mood. Above me, palm fronds rustled in the sea breeze. Hermit crabs scuttled along in their mobile shell homes, retreating inside them when I bent over to investigate.
Hermit crab in Turbo cidaris shell (common name: Crowned Turban). Identity provided by Ken Borland.
Leaving the beach, we climbed steadily up a hillside, covered in flowers. There had been plenty of rain here, and the ground was wet and squelchy underfoot. A group of round-haunched zebras, tails swishing, stood on the round edge of a hill. As soon as they saw us, they broke into an easy run and vanished over the horizon. Apart from them, we didn’t see a soul.
The sun was now as hot as toast, but it didn’t bother me. I found a lovely lyrical quality in warm sunshine, the riotous whooshing of the waves below, the tufted green grass, and that endless blue sky. My spirits were high. I was on another journey of discovery.
The indistinct track we were following eventually linked up with an old road which led directly down to the falls. Having posed for the obligatory photos on a promontory overlooking them, I headed upstream for a swim.
Striking a pose…pic courtesy of Mandy TyrerMkambati Falls
Choosing a suitable spot, I eased my way into the cold water and felt the cool go through me. After the long walk, I felt alive, tingly, happy to be in the water. The pool where I swam was fed by a large waterfall, which crashed through a cleft in the rock shelf, churning the water into a creamy lather of eddies and wavelets. I stroked out towards where I could feel the edge of the current and then, deciding that was enough for me, swam back.
As I was hoisting myself out, I happened to glance over my shoulder and, from the corner of my eye, caught a glimpse of a long, dark, serpent-like thing speeding, torpedo-like, directly upwards towards my foot. It was a deeply unnerving experience. My first reaction was one of fright. I launched myself onto dry land.
“There is something after me!”I exclaimed, excitedly, pointing back to the water from whence I had so hastily extracted myself, “I think it is a big barbel!”
We all gathered around the point where my pursuer had now surfaced. It wasn’t a barbel, as I had thought. It was an enormous eel! Its size was a tremendous surprise.
As a child, swimming in the streams and rivers that flowed directly out of the Nyanga mountains, I had often had this faint worry – no doubt part of some deeply ingrained, built-in, primordial, survival mechanism – about what might be dwelling in the murky depths below me. Now, I realised there was some basis for my fear.
One of the younger members of our party – a professional bird guide – had the presence of mind to do a quick Google check on his cell phone. He identified it as a Giant Mottled (also known as Marbled) Eel (Anguilla marmorata), a little understood and secretive creature which is primarily an Indo-Pacific species but can also be found in some freshwater habitats in South Africa..
Their life story is an unusual and, in many ways, unique one. Like other eels, they are spawned at sea but spend most of their lives in freshwater, often undertaking perilous journeys to find a suitable home. Incredibly, the young ones are even capable of scaling such natural barriers as Howick Falls. Later in life, they will return whence they came, spawn and die. The female Giant Mottled Eel can grow up to two metres in length, the male up to 1,5 metres (ours, whatever its sex, was about this long) and weigh up to 25 kilograms. They are long-lived, with some individuals reaching forty years.
A spirited discussion followed on what our eel’s true intentions were – good or bad? Was it just driven by curiosity in following me? Or was it some form of aggressive, territorial display? Or was there something more to it?
I found it a little eerie. Looking in its pale, bottomless, blue eyes, I felt, for a moment, like I had been transported through a portal into some enchanted, fantastical realm.
Perhaps not surprisingly, these huge eels have found their place in traditional Zulu and Xhosa folklore. They gave rise to the Inkanyamba legend, the fearsome monster that lives at the bottom of the Howick Falls, not far from where I live. Giant eels are similarly linked to the story of Nyami Nyami, the Zambezi River God or Snake Spirit, who – the belief goes – stalled the construction of the Kariba Dam wall, because it controlled the weather and was capable of summoning up both floods and drought.
There is a widespread consensus amongst most African groups that the ancestors can come to visit the living in animal form, both in dreams and while the person is awake. Snakes are a particularly common form of such ancestral manifestation, and eels have a strong physical resemblance to them..
Interestingly, these snake spirits, particularly those that manifests themselves in the form of a python (which sometimes has a glowing light attached to its head) tend to inhabit deep pools in rivers, often below waterfalls, where the water is fast moving and “living” (which, in turn, is often associated with its ability to generate foam – foam appearing to have a symbolic purpose). Furthermore, the pools are often associated with steep banks and are surrounded by dense indigenous forest. The natural sites where these beings are believed to reside are typically located in remote and relatively untouched places.
The Mkambati River.
The one I had just innocently jumped into completely fitted the bill…
The fact that this one seemed so unafraid of humans and kept circling through the reeds and out into the pool, like a shade moving through dim corridors, and then swimming back to eyeball us again and again, made me wonder whether it could be one of these mystically charged beings. It was almost as if it were anxious to communicate something. But what?! The sceptical, rational side of my brain began a wrestling match with its more psychic, superstitious sub-strata where all the symbols, archetypes and images of our collective unconscious lurk.
In the end, I decided it was a good sign. Far from civilization, on this elemental stretch of African coastline, it seemed an appropriate spot for some sort of divine revelation. It also made me realise that such beliefs, while outside traditional Western perspectives, are often rooted in carefully observed natural phenomena and reflect something of the spirit of the landscape.
Anxious to transfix so great a mystery, I grabbed my camera and started snapping away…
After a snack lunch, we left the eel to continue patrolling its remote, watery domain and headed back down to the beach, where lay – flipped high on the rocks by a violent storm – one of the many rusting wrecks of old ships that stand as mute testimony to this notoriously treacherous stretch of coastline. There was not much left. Its old smoke stack could be seen sticking out of the rocks, with the rest of the hulk – at least what remained – lying clear out of water, its iron panels eaten away and only a bare skeleton left.
Our relationship with the sea – especially waters as moody and temperamental as that of the Wild Coast – is a complex and ambiguous one. Despite its fearsome reputation amongst mariners, the warm Agulhas Current that washes these shores is also viewed, by those that dwell alongside it, as a source of benevolence – as well as violence and destruction.
For the Nguni-speaking people of Southern Africa’s eastern seaboard (which includes the local Pondo and Xhosa), water, be it from rivers, pools, lakes, springs or the sea, is integrally connected to the living at a spiritual level. The sea, however, is seen as the ultimate resting place for the ancestors; it is the great place of the departed souls, especially those who lived long ago, beyond living memory, who can still provide guidance to help the living. Many deeply revered customary practices and rituals are linked to it. For such rituals, signs of ancestral presence and approval are sought through the appearance of creatures associated with the site, such as whales, dolphins, sea birds, turtles, etc.
When Shell sought permission to conduct seismic blasting along the Wild Coast, followed by oil drilling, the possible desecration of these sites and its impact on local livelihoods and the environment were among the arguments against it.
Having just experienced my near-mystical encounter with a messenger from the deep, I knew whose side in this ongoing battle between ‘progress’ and conservation, traditional and non-traditional, I was on…
MORE PICTURES:
REFERENCES
There and Back: The Elusive and Secretive Lifestyle of the Freshwater Eels of South Africa by Celine Manzen
Messages from the Deep. Water Divinities, Dreams and Diviners in Southern Africa. Doctoral Thesis by P.S. Bernard
Africa is home to some of the world’s most iconic and threatened species. Despite its incredible richness and diversity in wildlife, a combination of sport and market hunting by thousands of hunters had decimated much of its vast herds by the end of the 19th century. It was only thanks to the efforts of a few far-sighted individuals and organisations that this disastrous decline was slowed and then gradually reversed.
In South Africa, the province of Natal early on recognised the importance of wildlife conservation. It was the first part of South Africa to establish formal areas with the specific purpose of protecting individual large mammal species. It was also the first area in Africa to declare a national park.
In 1947, the Natal Parks Board was established and over the next fifty years, it would go on to earn a well-deserved, international, reputation for the important work it did in safeguarding nature and creating a healthier, sustainable future for both wildlife and people.
George Hughes has spent over forty years in conservation, rising through the ranks and eventually becoming the CEO of the NPB in 1988. His close association and long history with the organisation has placed him in an ideal situation to provide a broad brush picture of its establishment and subsequent evolution – and in this chunky, thought-provoking, nourishing soup of a book he has done just that..
A highly professional outfit with a dedicated staff, one of the NPB’s greatest success stories was, undoubtedly, Operation Rhino which saw hundreds of White rhino being reintroduced into their former habitats in southern Africa, including Kruger National Park. They NPB also pioneered various game capture and darting techniques that were later applied elsewhere. Despite some initial resistance from a few of the old hands, the NPB also came to realise the importance of employing an increasing compliment of trained scientists who – in the author’s words – “could provide thorough and clear research to support the confident management of Natal’s protected areas as well as provide trusted information to staff operating in the extension field.”
This meant that they could, in turn, share their knowledge and expertise with the increasing number of farmers and private game reserves who were now stocking game (many of these animals were purchased from the NPB game auctions, a win-win situation for both sides). Over time, the NPB also came to engage increasingly with local communities so that they, too, derive financial benefits from protected areas, while, at the same time, advancing environmental awareness.
Despite the many plaudits and accolades that have come its way, the story has not been without crisis, controversy or contested approaches to nature conservation.
One of the more notorious episodes, which attracted a fair amount of negative publicity at the time, was “The Petition”, a revolt by a faction of Zululand rangers, led by Ian Player and Nick Steele (two figures who had been closely associated with Operation Rhino), who took issue with the way Head Office was handling its mandate. Although he was closely involved in the conflict, Hughes endeavours to be as fair and as even-handed as possible in describing how the saga unfolded and was eventually resolved. (albeit with some lingering hostility), It is clear, though, that the issue still rankles and that he feels many of the charges were based on an incomplete understanding of the facts.
Hughes also unwittingly found himself engulfed in another storm when he invited then-president Nelson Mandela to an international gathering in Zululand to celebrate the centenary of three of the first protected areas in Africa (the Hluhluwe, Umfolozi and St Lucia game reserves) – without clearing it first with the IFP, who, at that stage, was in charge of the province. It took some skilful diplomacy and smoothing of bruised political egos – plus a bit of Madiba magic – to calm matters down.
Spiced with many other similar anecdotes and reminiscences, which add a great deal of colour to the text, Hughes also devotes much space to describing the structures, functioning and operational aspects of the NPB. As such, The Natal Parks Board: A Conservation Adventure provides an authoritative overview of the subject and should prove invaluable to future historians, archivists and interested members of the public alike.
It also fulfils another important function. With many species still hovering on the edge of extinction and faced with an ever-expanding human population that is placing huge pressure on the environment, the success of wildlife conservation depends, to an extent, on our understanding of the failures, as well as the achievements, of the past. By highlighting the goals and objectives of an organisation with the impressive track record of the NPB, as well as showing how it dealt with the various problems and challenges it faced along the way (it was disbanded in 1998), this extensively researched and wide-ranging book makes a meaningful contribution to that understanding as well.
published by Bantam
Fans of Lee Child will no doubt welcome the latest outing for his cynical, maverick hero, Jack Reacher. Written with the usual flair and elan, the story opens, arrestingly, with Reacher waking up with a broken wrist and a sore head. To add insult to injury, he is in a dark room and handcuffed to a bed. He has no idea how he got there. With his short-term memory gone, he has to find a way to free himself and then disentangle what happened to him.
Naturally, he is not too happy about this unfortunate turn of events and is determined to exact revenge on whoever put him in this position. And when Reacher, a towering, avenging angel, sets himself a task, he doesn’t stop until he succeeds, outwitting or out-muscling anyone in his way.
In the ensuing pacy, violent caper, he links up with a female cop who is also intent on revenge because she suspects one of the gang, who locked up Reacher, murdered her father. Together, they uncover a complicated sequence of events involving blackmail, double-dealing, cyber-hacking, top-level secrets, turned agents and a threat to US security.
The book shows little sign that, with many incredibly popular Reacher stories behind him, Child (who has now been joined by his brother Andrew, an established author himself) is now coasting. Written with veteran assurance, the plotting carries the narrative superbly along, making In Too Deep an entertaining addition to the long-running series.
In his New Year address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa had made great progress in 2024. However, there still remains an urgent need to create more jobs, ensure all people receive quality service and fix water supply problems.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa broke his silence on the SACP’s decision to contest the 2026 local elections on their own, warning that dismantling the tripartite alliance would “weaken the national democratic movement.” Despite leading the rival MK party, former president Jacob Zuma, meanwhile, demanded that he be reinstated in the ANC by the end of January. The ruling party dismissed his demand as “mischievous.”
The world braced itself for the return of the polarising figure of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States. On the campaign trail, Trump had announced wide-reaching plans, including the mass deportations of immigrants and sweeping tariffs that economists warned could have a drastic effect on the economy. He also threatened to rename the Gulf of Mexico, take over the Panama Canal, make Canada part of the United States and buy Greenland.
In launching his “Masterplan” to tackle the city’s dire state, Msunduzi Municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla finally admitted to what residents have been complaining about for years.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill allowing for the seizure of land without compensation – a move that put him at odds with some of the other parties in the Government of National Unity.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA address came at a time when South Africa’s relations with Rwanda were souring as security deteriorated in the eastern DR Congo. US President Donald Trump also threatened to cut funding over South Africa’s land policy, which allowed for the confiscation of land without compensation.
As the United States announced new tariffs on steel and aluminium, EU chief Maros Sefcovic said it was a “lose-lose” scenario. “By imposing tariffs, the US will be taxing its own citizens, raising costs for its own business, and fuelling inflation,” he cautioned.
The last-minute cancellation of the 2025 budget speech exposed deep divisions within the fragile Government of National Unity, with the ANC appearing to believe it still held the upper hand after informing coalition partners of the 2% VAT hike at the last moment.
The surprise and audacity of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which roughly 1200 Israelis were killed and 240 taken hostage, once again refocused the world’s eyes on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The Israeli response, Operation Sword of Iron, was, predictably, swift and ferocious with over 30,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, losing their lives.
In this crisp, informative and critical overview, Ilan Pappe, who is Professor of History at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and Director of the European Centre of Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, provides a concise history of the events leading up to the current conflagration, and a reasoned reassessment of it. Given the savage venom often directed at those who question the official line – with charges of anti-Semitism being thrown around with reckless abandon – his commitment to historical accuracy is to be commended.
Although the author disputes this (he places the date much earlier), many people see the origins of the current Israeli-Palestine conflict as dating back to 1948 when the Soviet Union amazed everyone by joining America in voting for the establishment of a Jewish state. Not surprisingly, both the Palestinians and the Arab world rejected the partition of a land that had long been occupied by the Palestinians (the author makes short thrift of the myth that it was largely empty when the Jews first settled there).
With partition endorsed by the UN, the Jews quickly set about establishing their dominance in the region. Thus began what the author calls a ‘repertoire of repression” – the Palestinians were systematically stripped of their rights, their property was forcibly taken or destroyed and they were regularly forced to flee from the land of their birth. In the face of this ghettoisation and ethnic cleansing, resistance was inevitable, The Palestinians were less well-armed and organised and the Israelis used their attacks as justification for further repression. Both sides have, at times, behaved ruthlessly although – as the current Israeli offensive has only too clearly shown – there is little doubt who has inflicted the greater casualties and done the most damage.
Throughout all of this, America’s policy towards Israel has continued to be driven by the powerful pro-Israeli lobby which has resulted in successive administrations virtually granting the country a blank cheque. As such, there has been little incentive for the Israeli government to moderate its behaviour (this has proved especially so under their current leader, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu). The fact that the US embrace of Zionism has often harmed their other interests in the Middle East, as well as encouraging terrorism in their backyard has, for the most part, been brushed aside.
Since its outset, the conflict has been beset with rival lies and it is often difficult, for the ordinary observer, to sift through all the propaganda and falsehoods and establish where the real truth lies. While it is clear who his sympathies are with, Pappe does as much as anyone can do to reconstruct the reality behind the myths and controversies that continue to surround the whole Palestinian tragedy. What becomes clear from his analysis is that military prowess alone cannot provide a solution to this seemingly endless conflict. Sadly, that is something that neither side shows much willingness to acknowledge at the present moment.
published by Zaprock
By any standards, 2024 has been a tumultuous year, here and abroad. In South Africa, the ruling ANC lost its parliamentary majority and was forced into a shaky Government of National Unity (the GNU of the book’s title) with the DA, IFP and several smaller parties. The year also marked the return of two controversial, divisive ex-presidents – Donald Trump in the USA and – closer to home – Jacob Zuma. While insisting he remained an ANC member, Zuma launched his own political party, the MK Party which shocked the pundits by doing surprisingly well at the polls, pushing firebrand Julius Malema’s EFF into fourth place. Clearly put out by this loss of support, Juju’s mood did not improve when many of his members promptly deserted him for the new party.
With little going right and so much going wrong, South Africa’s motley collection of political cartoonists had a field day, not least the veteran political commentator, Zapiro. As this, his 28th Annual, shows he has lost none of his satirical flourish and his cartoons are as sharp and as acerbic as ever. Producing cartoons on a day-to-day basis can be gruelling work but he is more than up to the task.
Zapiro has never been afraid to express his views even when they touch on highly contentious subjects such as the Gaza conflict where his dislike of the Netanyahu regime comes through strongly. He is also not one to be easily pigeonholed, sharing much of the modern cynicism about politicians. Nor is he selective in his targets, his dislike of them is spread across the board. .
Cartoons have always had the astonishing power to encapsulate a historical moment, and once again, Zapiro’s annual collection provides a fascinating, revealing—and often very funny—snapshot of the past year. It is an ideal Christmas present.
In his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana doubled down on budget costs and put in measures to stimulate growth.
The United States of America elected Donald John Trump as its 47th president, choosing a candidate who has promised to put America on a different path. This decision has significant implications for South Africa.
Former EFF chairperson Dali Mpofu became the latest high-profile member to defect to Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MK Party). The exodus of members was predicted to continue.
Public hearings began on Eskom’s proposed 36,1% tariff hike, amidst widespread concern that the increase will worsen the struggle of already vulnerable South Africans.
Former president Jacob Zuma rejected the ANC’s decision to expel him from the party. Zuma’s problems with the ANC started in December 2023, when he announced he was campaigning for the MK Party.
Thembi Simelane’s reshuffle from Justice Minister to Human Settlements Minister ignited sharp criticism, with opposition parties accusing President Cyril Ramaphosa of political manoeuvring. Simelane has been linked to the VBS scandal.
Ahead of its elective conference, EFF leader Julius Malema declared the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party its “biggest enemy” as senior members of the leftist party continue to defect to it.
When the First World War broke out, there were few, amongst the thousands who enlisted who could have foreseen the new type of modern warfare they would face. Chlorine gas, explosive artillery shells, rapid-fire machine guns and other heavy weapons were to inflict carnage on a scale never witnessed before. By the end of the first year, the war had become more or less static with the opposing armies facing each other in trenches which stretched from the Belgium Coast, across France, to the Swiss border. Numerous massive offences were launched, by both sides, but the toll of human life and suffering was out of all proportion to any gains made
As the war dragged on, many soldiers, living in appalling conditions and forced to the limits of their endurance, developed “shell shock”(known today as PTSD). Crippled in mind and body, some were sent back to Britain for treatment. Amongst them, were two men who would become renowned for their war poems, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. The story of the friendship that sprang up between them while receiving treatment at Craiglockhart War Hospital, in Scotland, has been told before (not least in Pat Barker’s superb re-imagining Regeneration, which won the Booker Prize), but Glass both broadens the scope and provides new insights into it.
Outwardly, the two were very different. Tall, aristocratic, athletic and a keen huntsman, Sassoon had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His reckless bravery in the face of the enemy had earned him a Military Cross, as well as his nickname “Mad Jack”. For his part, Owen was a good foot shorter, shy, hesitant and with a stammer. He also came from a much more humble, lower middle-class, background than the patrician Sassoon.
Despite his heroics, Sassoon, would, as the war progressed, develop an increasing ambivalence to both the nature of the conflict and the direction it was taking. Invalided back to England, with a sniper’s bullet through his chest, he decided to make an act of ‘wilful defiance’ by refusing to return to military duties. Worried by what he saw as his friend’s naivete, the poet Robert Graves intervened and used his influence to get Sassoon declared ‘mentally unbalanced’, thus avoiding the possibility of seeing him imprisoned for his actions. Eager to avoid a scandal, the military authorities were only too happy to go along.
At the time of their meeting, Sassoon was already an established poet and it took Owen – who was a big admirer – some time to pluck up the courage to show his poems to him. A warm friendship would grow out of this initial encounter. Under Sassoon’s creative and constructive criticism, Owen’s genius flourished. Both refused to glorify the war, as so many civilian poets, were doing but insisted on showing it in all its harsh reality. As Owen wrote: “My subject is War and the pity of War. The poetry is in the pity.”
The two poets were fortunate to be sent to Craiglockhart, an enlightened institution not dominated by the antiquated and hidebound thinking that characterised much of the military hierarchy (it is shocking to think of the number of men who were shot by firing squad for supposed cowardice}. Both Doctor William Rivers (who treated Sassoon) and Doctor Arthur Brock (Owen) disapproved of painful practices like electric shock therapy, cold-water ducking and convulsion-producing drugs. Instead, they relied on Freudian forms of analysis. Rather than indicating a lack of moral character or being a sign of weakness, they realised that the men’s mental breakdowns were often a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. In many cases, their treatments were successful but they then found themselves in the morally ambiguous situation of being forced to send the men back to the very conditions that had caused their breakdown in the first place.
In this compelling and captivating account, author Glass shows, with a novelistic vividness, how the initial patriotism and idealism the war engendered soon lost its edge, as the soldiers, who fought in it, came to terms with a new style of war fought on an unprecedented scale. More than a straight biography, he uses the lives of the main characters (and those of others who were treated at the hospital, such as the author and journalist,s Max Plowman) as a plank in a fascinating study of the war that was supposed to end all wars.. His telling characterisations evoke not only the agony and seeming pointlessness of much of it, but the profound effect it had on both the men who fought in it and those who tried to help them deal with the trauma and the emotional scars it left.
Published by Yale University Press
At the time of the collapse of the old Soviet Union, there was a general mood of optimism in the West, coupled with a belief that democracy and market capitalism had triumphed over one-party states and socialism and would, in future, prevail against any autocratic challenges. And with more democratic elections being held than ever before that certainly did appear to be the case. Alluring as this assumption is, the evidence actually points in the opposite direction – over the last decade or so our hard-won liberties have become steadily eroded and the world has become less, not more free. Everywhere, democracy is on the back foot.
One of the reasons for this – as the authors demonstrate in this carefully researched, sharp and utterly convincing book – is because the despots have adapted their strategies and learnt how to use democracy against itself, finding ways to manipulate and “win” elections even though they may not enjoy majority support. In so doing, they are able to give themselves a veil of legitimacy while reinforcing their grip on the countries they rule. As such, elections have become a useful tool for them – “…so long as autocrats can tightly control the political process, their regimes have a better chance of survival if they hold elections and rig them than if they avoid holding elections altogether.”
Russia’s Vladimir Putin is the past master at this. The various methods he and other power-hungry world leaders have used to hold onto their positions form the core subject matter of this book. Many of the tactics (gerrymandering, voter-buying, political violence, ballot-box stuffing etc) have been around for a long time (although they have become far more fine-tuned) but the new digital tools of hacking, spreading misinformation online and social media manipulation have all presented fresh opportunities to play dirty, especially as it is often hard to track down the sources. The Cambridge Analytica scandal and the allegations of Russian involvement in Donald Trump’s first election campaign are but two recent high-profile examples of rigging through the control of information. There is an irony in this – the digital revolution was initially widely hailed as a great democratising force.
Probably the most worrying aspect of all this is that these “counterfeit democracies” are not a minority – rather, they now constitute the majority of states. The implications are obvious. Once elections become corrupted, political rights collapse, civil liberties decline, and responsive government disappears. Instead of advancing the equal rights and freedoms of the people, those in high office come to regard government as a means to preserve their own status and privileges.
We should be under no illusions as to the scale of the problem. With America (especially under Trump) less willing to promote democracy abroad, and Europe focusing on its own problems, China is increasingly setting the world agenda, and they are certainly not committed to pushing pro-democracy reform.
There is still some hope though. Having clearly laid out the dangers facing democracy, the authors marshal practical evidence from across the globe to show ways we can push back against the rising tide of authoritarianism and restore, protect and strengthen the electoral system. It is advice we can ill afford to ignore.
Stidy's Eye 