Governance & Institutions

South Africa’s crime crisis is not a mystery.It is not cultural.It is not genetic.It is not a reflection of “Black dysfunction.”It is not the natural outcome of democracy or post-1994 governance. It is a structural inheritance—the predictable result of building a country on the economic blueprint of the criminal state of Apartheid, then attempting to stretch that blueprint across an entire nation. If we are honest, the real story of South Africa is not crime.It is the seq

Introduction Ancient Egyptian myth is often treated as distant symbolism—beautiful, dramatic, and irrelevant to “real” politics. Yet the Horus–Set cycle is not merely a story about gods. It is a constitutional imagination: a structured explanation of why legitimate authority exists, how it collapses, and what restoration demands. Read politically, Ma’at  functions as the standard of truth, justice, balance, and right order; Horus  embodies rightful sovereignty aligned with th

Executive Summary Africa is on the cusp of a new era in governance. The Politics Decade Contract  proposes a ten-year framework to transform leadership, reform governing institutions and embed accountability mechanisms. Drawing inspiration from historical contracts such as the 1994 U.S. Contract with America, which set out clear legislative reforms and auditing promises ( Contract with America ), this masterplan sets ten-year milestones that align Africa’s aspirations for inc

Africa is a continent of immense potential. Yet, its political landscape often feels like a maze - complex, challenging, and sometimes disheartening. But what if we dared to look beyond the surface? What if we embraced a vision that sees Africa not just as it is, but as it could be? This is the essence of the political vision that Africa Ad Astra champions. It is a call to action, a beacon of hope, and a roadmap for transformation. The Pulse of African Political Transformatio

How a song, a burning university, and a DM turned my politics inside out I didn’t cry over a speech. I didn’t cry over a march. I cried over graphs. For years I had defended the DA as the “grown-up” option. In Politics 101 debates, I played the calm one: “They’re rational.” “They protect institutions.” “They’ll keep investor confidence.” “They’re non-racial.” I knew the vocabulary by heart: fiscal discipline, policy certainty, rule of law. Speaking like that felt safe. It fel

The Only Honest Story South Africa Refuses to Tell Africa Ad Astra — Political Engineering Paper Abstract South Africa’s democratic transition is widely celebrated as a peaceful shift from apartheid to constitutional democracy. However, beneath this symbolic transformation lies a structural conflict rarely acknowledged in mainstream political discourse: the economic rivalry between an emerging Black elite and the entrenched colonial inheritors who maintained control of the ec

Understanding the Legacy of Apartheid Apartheid was never just a historical system of segregation. It was a calculated criminal architecture built upon theft, violence, and the codification of racial dominance. Its collapse in legal form did not mean it disappeared; it simply rebranded itself. The language of “transition” concealed the continuity of looted wealth and re-institutionalised it through legality, forgiveness, and narrative control. What persists is not only inequa

Mahnaz Yazdani Personal Ambition Superseding Collective Strategy The Quiet Sabotage of South Africa’s Democratic Promise By Lisu Khuzwayo | 19 June 2025 “Amandla Awethu” — Power is Ours. These days, it’s just an echo — bouncing off the walls of Parliament and dying before it reaches the street. Introduction: The Liberation Dream Deferred Three decades after apartheid’s demise, South Africa was meant to stand as a beacon of postcolonial renewal — a constitutional democracy bui

Profiling as 'Culpable' Proof: The Student Left Behind By Mr L Khuzwayo "Can a school truly honour the Constitution if it abandons the very learners it’s meant to protect?" As South Africans, we proudly proclaim the values of our progressive Constitution—dignity, freedom, equality, and education for all. But for some students, especially those who do not fit society’s favored mold, these rights remain promises on paper rather than lived realities. Last year, during the third

Read to Reflect. By Lisu Khuzwayo The day was set, but my mood wasn’t. Fifteen years old, full of noise, and utterly unserious. I sat in...