In a country where Jacob Zuma gets to leave prison early after serving but a fraction of his 15-month sentence and South African’s can refuse to be vaccinated even while many others are dying should we revisit the constitution that is considered a liberal bastion in the world?
Sydney Majoko quotes former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke and says the constitution is too liberal and was designed with a president like Nelson Mandela in mind. Mandela, one would assume, would acquiesce to any request the Constitutional Court makes of him while men like Zuma and Shabir Sheik routinely flout the law and do as they please while leveraging it when it suits their needs.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will step down in three weeks when Germans head to the polls to elect a new chancellor, which will make this the first time since 2005 that Merkel won’t be standing for reelection.
While many politicians the world over don’t have a glowing reputation, Merkel has been able to buck the trend for the most part according to Nadine Dreyer who writes that Merkel has largely stayed out of trouble and has never been involved in any personal or financial scandals. This while the rest of Europe, oftentimes, seems to be falling apart around her.
Dreyer writes that there is hardly a bad thing to say about Merkel, “Battle-hardened commentators are scratching their heads to find nasty things to say about “Mutti” as they assess her legacy.”
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions and analyses:
The IEC’s announcement on Monday that it would reopen the candidate registration process has got Tom Eaton writing when will voters stop voting for the ANC? Charles Cilliers says he’s happy the IEC reopened the registration process even though it will help the dysfunctional ANC get their missing candidates registered.
Carol Patton writes on the governing party’s constant ineptitude and whether they will be punished at the local government elections next month. (for subscribers)
News24’s James de Villiers talks to some experts about Zuma’s release from prison on medical parole.
Stephen Grootes gives his analysis of the ANC’s approach to campaigning for the local government elections, or rather the lack thereof.
