HOW THE SUNDAY TIMES MANUFACTURES THE NEWS

A look at the way in which the Sunday Times recasts old news in a fashion that suggests it is both new and exclusive to the paper, using the paper’s front page story from 14 June 2009 by way of illustration.

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HOW TO SPOT A NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN

A look at the television adverts of six leading political parties and what they say about the nature of those party’s campaigns..

UNDERSTANDING POOR JOURNALISM

A look at the way in which the Sowetan newspaper broke the story about Helen Zille’s comment on Jacob Zuma and how it constitutes an excellent illustration of poor journalism and weak editorial control.

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2009 ELECTION: THE DA’S RESULTS

The 2009 Election has come and gone and, now that the results are in, it is possible to gauge how well the DA did and how its results compare to those of the other political parties.

What follows is a brief overview of the DA’s performance.

SMALL, SMALLER, SMALLEST

One of the most significant developments of the 2009 General and Provincial Elections was the decline of smaller parties. What follows is an overview of that trend in general and an analysis of the five more established smaller parties.

It demonstrates that they are all in decline and, if the facts are anything to go by, that the decline is terminal.

THE OPEN OPPORTUNITY SOCIETY GLOSSARY

We have launched a new page on The Real ANC Today called ‘The Open Opportunity Society Glossary’, a link to which can be found in the top right hand corner of our front page, or by clicking here.

THE ANC AND RELIGION: PART 5 – CONCLUSION

The fifth and final part of a series on the ANC and religion. Religion is a helpful metaphor for understanding the ANC’s political ideology and, in particular, for better understanding the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Each part of the five posts will explore this idea. Today, we bring you part 5 – a conclusion, summerising some of the main themes of the essay from which this series is drawn.

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THE ANC AND RELIGION: PART 4 – JACOB ZUMA AND GOD

The fourth in a five-part series on the ANC and religion. Religion is a helpful metaphor for understanding the ANC’s political ideology and, in particular, for better understanding the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Each part of the five posts will explore this idea. Today, we bring you part 4 – a look at the politics of Jacob Zuma and how his fervent Christianity complements and reinforces his staunch African nationalism.

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THE ANC AND RELIGION: PART 3 – THABO MBEKI AND THE TRUTH

The third in a five-part series on the ANC and religion. Religion is a helpful metaphor for understanding the ANC’s political ideology and, in particular, for better understanding the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Each part of the five posts will explore this idea. Today, we bring you part 3 – a look at the politics of Thabo Mbeki and what role ‘the truth’ plays in his political ideology.

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THE ANC AND RELIGION: PART 2 – THE ANC’S POLITICAL RELIGION

The second in a five-part series on the ANC and religion. Religion is a helpful metaphor for understanding the ANC’s political ideology and, in particular, for better understanding the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Each part of the five posts will explore this idea. Today, we bring you part 2 – a look at the general relationship between religion, the ANC and African nationalism.

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THE ANC AND RELIGION: PART 1 – THE ONE TRUE CHURCH

The first in a five-part series on the ANC and religion. Religion is a helpful metaphor for understanding the ANC’s political ideology and, in particular, for better understanding the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Each of the five posts will explore this idea. Today, we start with an introduction.

THE STRANGE CASE OF THABO MBEKI

A look at the two positions held by former President Thabo Mbeki – ANC president and South African president – and some insights as to how they merged, to the detriment of his own aspirations and South Africa’s democracy. The book, ‘The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ provides a helpful metaphor in better understanding the relationship between these two offices, which defined Mbeki’s time at the apex of South African politics.

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THE JUDICIARY ON THE ANC

An overview of 11 key Judgments handed down by the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court, regarding the ANC government and the nature of its administration. The Nicholson Judgment has brought the ANC’s behaviour into stark relief. Against that background, it is worth considering what the Courts have had to say about the ruling party more generally.

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AN IDIOT’S GUIDE TO THE ERASMUS COMMISSION

An overview of the 157 page judgment handed down by the Cape High Court on the legality of the Erasmus Commission. In this edition, we look at what the key findings were, what the judgment means for the ANC and how the DA’s opposition to the Commission epitomises the values that underpin an Open Opportunity Society for All.

ANALYSING THE ANALYSTS

A supplementary edition – and one which does not strictly concern the ANC – to be read with Issue 11, in which the court’s findings with regard to the Erasmus Commission and their implications are discussed. Here, we set out what some of the key political analysts had to say about the Commission, prior to the courts findings, and compare them the actual judgment. Are these analysts really experts at analysing politics? You decide.

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LITTLE-BY-LITTLE

How does change happen? For the most part, little-by-little. In this edition, we look at the idea that, over time, the ANC has fundamentally changed – from a democratic colossus in 1994, to a party mired in corruption and defined infighting in 2008; and why it is so difficult to properly identify exactly how – and when – that change happened.

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STRENGTHENING SOUTH AFRICA’S PUBLIC DEBATE

Given the constraints on public debate in South Africa – outlined in the previous edition of The Real ANC Today – what can we do to strengthen it? Of central importance are two principles: that every opinion has an equal opportunity to be heard and that each person has the ability to properly formulate that opinion in the first place.

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A NUMBING OF THE PUBLIC MIND

What constitutes a good argument? It’s a pertinent question in South Africa today, certainly with regards to public debate. In this edition, we look at the role reason plays in our public discourse, the constraints on it and how they affect our ability to construct a good argument.

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ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN

Jacob Zuma seems to be surrounded by people with less than inspiring public records; and, the closer your get to the ANC President, the more dubious their contribution to South Africa seems to become. Who are these people, what are their public records and why do they attach so strongly to Jacob Zuma?

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NATIONALISM BREEDS MEDIOCRITY

There is a strong case to be made that, under the ANC, South Africa is increasingly embracing mediocrity at the expense of merit and excellence. Why is this? What is it about the ANC, and nationalism more generally, that seems to oppose excellence and seek to reduce institutions to the lowest common denominator.

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