Every country has a public persona reflecting its values, people, leadership, history and institutions. The persona of the US has been one of a genuine endeavours to build a country on tried and tested values with freedom, democracy and the rule of law enshrined in their constitution.
Yes, they had some flawed leaders over time and flawed practices like segregation, but they always seemed to find their soul again guided by the checks and balances built into their system.
And yes, at times their strength was also their weakness: there were instances where they used their military muscle for the wrong causes and based on false readings.
Overall, they have largely been a force for good and a stabilising influence on the global scene. However, the title “leader of the free world” rests on shaky ground, both in respect of leadership and freedom in the MAGA era.
On the one hand, this development is destabilising the current world order and shifting the global balance of power. On the other hand, it is leading to a healthy reassessment by other democracies of their reliance on the US.
Whether the US will find its soul again, only time will tell. In the meantime, countries that value freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the rules-based international system, are preparing themselves for a new dispensation with less reliance on an important traditional ally.
I believe democracy has the resilience to outlive this onslaught from within. We live in interesting times.
Dawie Jacobs, Pretoria
The NPA is allowing corruption to flourish
The National Prosecuting Authority should bear full responsibility for the revolt against our democracy by the corrupt and their supporters. It is now obvious that prosecutions are not undertaken with the intention to convict — such ineptitude is tantamount to aiding and abetting the corrupt among us.
This appears true unless NPA head Shamila Batohi can explain the numerous blunders which led to the failure to find these corrupt people guilty.
A committee headed by a reputable judge should be quickly appointed to investigate the abuse of the indemnity provisions in the Criminal Procedure Act. Indemnity should only be granted when the prospects of successfully convicting the accused are slim.
In the Brett Kebble matter known law breakers went scott free and the person the NPA tried to implicate was never convicted. John Stratton, one of the people implicated, fled the country and no effort was made to bring him back to South Africa. But nothing demonstrates the madness of this strategy like the failure to jointly charge Shabir Shaik with Jacob Zuma — the country is continuing to suffer today for that ill-conceived strategy
About 20 years later more people believe that Msholozi is innocent, a victim of some nefarious political machinations, and they are prepared to collapse the democratic edifice to save him from facing the consequences of his behaviour.
Now the Sunday Times tells us that business-person Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu might collapse the entire case against former parliamentary speaker Mapisa-Nqakula. The fact that Mapisa-Nqakula, who allegedly pocketed more than R2m from corrupt tenders, is a big fish, shouldn’t be a reason to grant her indemnity.
The culture of corruption was made to flourish by politicians, and a strategy to end it should include imprisoning both the corruptor and the corruptee. In Africa, corruption has led to civil wars.
Mishack Junior Nthane, Haartbees
Saving PIC could save SA
Dear Mr President, if you are committed to transformation of our economy and society you should shut down the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) with immediate effect. The performance of their listed placements has been less than pedestrian and their management of the unlisted investments has been absolutely abysmal. The criminal neglect of their Daybreak Farms is indicative of the prevailing lack of professional ethics within some entities of the organisation. When entrusted to manage about R2.7-trillion, a loss of R1.44bn in just one investment is inconsequential, and that is the fundamental problem.
Daybreak Farms had been in a critical state for some time but the PIC were just not interested. The board and executive should be relieved of their positions.
The various funds that the PIC manages should be split into smaller pools and private sector asset management companies should be invited to tender. The criteria for investing the non-listed pools must aim to drive transformation, industrialisation and job creation projects. Private sector asset management entities are fiercely competitive and held to high standards by their clients.
They are performance driven and their survival is dependent on returning positive dividends to their client base. A crack team of investment specialists and accountants should be assembled and incentivised to manage the overall fund on behalf of the stakeholders. This is exactly what the millions of citizens who have a vested interest should demand: accountability.
Mr President, this is the perfect vehicle to drive transformation, industrialisation, economic growth and job creation.
Jay Naicker, via email
A suicidal move by Zuma
The MK Party will die before the next national elections. From 14% it will get half of that in the 2026 local elections and around 3% come the 2029 elections
How do you remove South Africa’s best political CEO and make him a parliament back-bencher when you are at the infancy of your political party’s growth?
This is political suicide for Jacob Zuma.
Grant Son, via email
Mashatile will emerge triumphant
What has divided the ANC over the years has been the presidential succession race. The ANC’s 2007 national conference dealt a blow to the unity of the party. A breakaway party (COPE) was formed which received 7.42% votes in the 2009 general election.
The image of the ANC has been marred by the conduct of its members. People refer to the ANC’s cadres as thieves and it will take time for the ANC to rid itself of this image.
The party has a tendency to embarrass its leaders by recalling them from government before their tenures expire. Thus many predict that President Cyril Ramaphosa will not finish his term of office.
As the ANC’s national conference draws near, Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s faction will emerge triumphant. Prince Mashele has predicted that Ramaphosa will not present the state of the nation address in 2028.
Lindani Ngcobo, Ntuzuma
SA got what it deserved
The US president went all out to humiliate the South African president. The issue of a “white farmer genocide” was clearly not on the agenda. The agenda focused on “resetting relations and bilateral matters”, according to the presidency.
However, Ramaphosa surprisingly invited white golfers and the minister of agriculture. That can only mean that the South Africans were wary of giving Trump an excuse to bring up the white farmer genocide. Nonetheless, the South African government received what it deserved.
Also, the media, which has long protected Ramaphosa, received what it deserved. Trump humiliated all South Africans, so there was no chance for great public relations. Indeed, the entire concept of a democratic South Africa that is “non-sexist, non-racial, and has the sweetest Constitution and free media” facade has been exposed as the lie it has always been.
Khotso KD Moleko, Mangaung
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