Yesterday shockwaves reverberated throughout the world as the Taliban sacked the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul and stunning images taken from inside the presidential palace of the organisations top officials made its way onto our screens.
President Ashraf Ghani meanwhile is said to have left the presidential palace yesterday morning en-route to the US embassy before leaving the embassy and fleeing as the Taliban entered Kabul. Ghani is said to now be in Oman after his plane was denied landing in Tajikistan.
The Taliban began mobilising across the country taking city after city in recent weeks as US troops began withdrawing from the country that has been engulfed in endless war since 9/11 almost twenty years ago.
The last time the Afghani government was in the Taliban’s control was pre-9/11.
There are plenty of questions as to what happens now including how the Taliban will run the country, what happens to the liberal gains made, the gender equality and sending little girls to schools so that they too can be educated like their male peers?
Much will be said, and media from both sides of the political spectrum will add their own bias and slant to the commentary and analysis to come in the next few weeks and months. Time will only tell what the future holds for Afghanistan and the rest of the Middle East region. Hopefully, we aren’t plunged into further acts of violence and bloodshed.
The Atlantic Council have compiled an expert roundup of commentary here.
While The Conversation has put together a list of essential readings from scholars, activists and others that’s well worth reading to better understand the socio-political dynamics around Afghanistan.
Here’s a roundup of the other opinions and analyses making headlines today:
Daily Maverick
The emigration of South African youth is becoming an unspoken crisis – Tim Cohen
Sink or swim, or burn: The whole world is inextricably linked as global heating intensifies – Sasha Planting
News24/Fin24
How did the Taliban take over Afghanistan so quickly? – David Fox, with Qasim Nauman in Seoul
Stop treating Ramaphosa like a saint and judge him as a politician – Adriaan Basson (For subscribers)
Ramaphosa and the ANC’s abuse of B-BBEE, land reform, gun control and lockdown rules – Siya Khumalo (For subscribers)
Business Day
Honesty is the best policy, even for politicians like Ramaphosa – Carol Patton (For subscribers)
Why we don’t need an economics Codesa – Claire Bisseker (For subscribers)
Financial Mail
Patel’s opaque ‘master plans’ suit SA’s oligarchs — and few others – Telita Snyckers
The Citizen
Guptas: The disease or the parasite? – Barbara Curson
Sunday Times Daily
When will voters realise looting and killing are not new to the ANC? – Justice Malala
Ministers must be held to account for their departments’ failings – William Gumede
