explain.co.za

08/07/2025

After General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive press conference, many South Africans are calling him the leader we need. But in her column, Verashni Pillay asks a tough question: what if what we really need… is a better system, not just a better man?

Mkhwanazi has sparked something important. But real change won’t come from a single man — it will come from fixing the system so that no one man has to save it.

Read Verashni’s column this week: https://loom.ly/nZHgSgw

General Mkhwanazi for president? Think again. Read 's powerful column on the cult of personality, deep reform and the danger of looking for saviours.

07/07/2025

At this year's Glastonbury Festival, British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan led a chant of "death to the IDF" — broadcast live by the BBC.

The backlash was swift: criminal investigation, revoked visas, and accusations of hate speech.

In this bold and personal opinion piece, explain writer Emma Solomon asks: are we holding protest art to different standards depending on who it's criticising?

Read more: https://loom.ly/IkaDK-U

Music and art is political.

05/07/2025

SAPS is cracking down on GBV — over 200 arrests in one week. But a major crisis of trust remains: only 2.5% of 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯.𝘤𝘰.𝘻𝘢 readers say they fully trust SAPS to protect victims.

From mishandled investigations to officers themselves being accused, South Africans are losing faith.

Read more 👉 https://loom.ly/NQbiYG8

APS arrested over 200 GBV suspects in one week — but most South Africans still don’t trust them to protect victims.

04/07/2025

The Government of National Unity is showing fresh cracks.

Following the abrupt firing of a deputy minister, the fallout has triggered ultimatums, criminal charges, and renewed questions about who truly holds power in this uneasy coalition.

The full story reveals more than just a political spat — it’s a window into deeper tensions shaping the future of the GNU.

Read it here 👉 https://loom.ly/ZuICV-M

Cracks are deepening in the Government of National Unity. Who’s really calling the shots — and what does it mean for the GNU’s future?

04/07/2025

The MK Party is tearing itself apart — again.

Deputy President John Hlophe has “fired” spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela and accused Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile, of chaos in party meetings. Ndhlela says he never got the dismissal letter. 🤭

Is the MK project already falling apart?

👉 Read the full story: https://loom.ly/xjwNHyk

The MK Party is at war with itself again. Firings, factions, and feuds — and Zuma’s daughter is in the thick of it. Can this party survive its own drama?

04/07/2025

When 28-year-old garage cashier Eza Limelintaka bought herself a car, her employer did not celebrate with her; instead, he demanded to see her bank statement, shocked that someone who is a cashier could afford to get a car.

In her latest column, Lona Sokanyile reflects on how low-wage workers are disrespected and made to feel like they should not have dreams because their worth is seen through the lens of their pay slip.

Read more: https://loom.ly/9CujT8A

What does the way we treat low-earning workers say about us as South Africans? Nothing good.

03/07/2025

The Wrap is here!

Mzansi’s weather isn’t the only thing bringing the drama. A massive cold front hits SA while tensions heat up in the GNU over the Whitfield firing 🥶, and the MK Party is falling apart at the seams, with rival factions and fiery fallouts.
While the Springboks gave us something to cheer about with a big win, troubling news ranges from the shooting of a senior Ekurhuleni auditor to lawyers getting busted for submitting AI-generated fake court cases.

Beyoncé kept her cool during an onstage scare, punk-rap duo Bob Vylan sparked backlash over their Gaza protest, and Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” is creating big, messy debt.

Catch up on all the stories in this week’s edition, brought to you by Verashni Pillay and the explain.co.za team. 👉 https://loom.ly/SEBW6s0

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01/07/2025

Ramaphosa is being utterly tone-deaf in his firing of DA deputy minister Andrew Whitfield - a non-issue for the electorate.

With SA’s Government of National Unity wobbling again, it’s worth asking: what would happen if our leaders actually listened to voters? Former Cape Town resident Zohran Mamdani just rocked US politics by doing exactly that. The ANC, meanwhile, is doubling down on arrogance. Here's why that could cost them dearly.

Read Verashni Pillay's latest column 👉

Ramaphosa could learn a lesson from Zohran Mamdani by doing the radical thing -- listening to what actually matters to us.

30/06/2025

Kajal Premnath has never seen a single episode of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘧 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸, but she cried at its cancellation nonetheless. And so did most of the internet.

People are feeling big feelings over this. And for good reason.

In her latest column, she unpacks why a puppet’s heartbreak struck such a nerve — and what Tiny Chef’s fate reveals about our emotional dependence on wholesome media, the cruelty of streaming platforms, and the rising tide of AI-generated slop threatening to replace it all.

Read more 👉

The Tiny Chef Show is cancelled, and the internet is not happy. What does this say about our need for softness in a world of streaming brutality and AI slop

28/06/2025

What does judicial independence really mean — and why should you care?

President Ramaphosa recently announced a major reform: giving the judiciary full control over its own budget, admin, and operations — a shift legal experts say could transform South Africa’s justice system.

We spoke to Judges Matter legal researcher Mbekezeli Benjamin about what this change means for courts, the Constitution, and ordinary South Africans. Think faster case turnarounds, better access to justice, and less political interference.

Read the full Q&A 👉 https://loom.ly/s6itg7o

Ramaphosa announced jucial independence. But what does that actually mean for you and me?