The annual BRICS Summit is taking place in Johannesburg this week. With an expected 40 heads of state jetting into the country, the eyes of the world will be on South Africa.
Why has South Africa applied one standard to Russia and another to Israel? To take it a step further, why is South Africa withdrawing diplomats from Israel but working hard to strengthen relations with Iran?
This new State Capture variant is all about walking the legal tightrope to extract legal rents while handing over sovereignty to China.
In 2017, Pravin Gordhan urged South Africa to ‘join the dots’ between corruption and the Zuma administration. John Matisonn joins those dots in this eight-part series. In this instalment, he spells out that, for too long, South Africa’s foreign policy has failed to prioritise its national interests and its constitutional values.
South Africa and India have democratic systems capable of upholding and promoting human rights and being responsive to populations. Both countries’ leaders ought to bring that perspective to the G20 Summit.
It doesn’t help if you desperately need to reform corrupt old state enterprises into modern, competitive entities to while away the time with countries that hold old-world statist views on economic development.
Often, women bear the brunt of health crises owing to pre-existing gender inequalities which compound the vulnerability of women and girls. It is also well-known that during public health emergencies, girls and women tend to experience higher risks of gender-based violence.
South Africa lost an opportunity for influence and change at the BRICS Summit. By championing renewable energy and advocating a global renewable target going forward, we can address our energy crisis and the impending climate catastrophe. The challenge is vast, but so is our potential.
An independent panel has found no evidence that weapons were loaded on to the Russian cargo vessel the Lady R, President Cyril Ramaphosa said. But the panel’s report won’t be released to the public, he added.
It is not just the focus on fossil fuels that the new BRICS countries bring that is alarming. Several of the new states have appalling human rights records which has a chilling impact on the ability of environmental activists to operate safely.
It is important for a country like South Africa to push for geographic diversification of trade, especially in light of intensifying geoeconomic tensions and growing protectionism in traditional markets.
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Will an expanded BRICS precipitate a new international order, or collapse under the weight of its internal contradictions?
Will the inclusion of six new members in BRICS last week strengthen multipolarity or bipolarity?
Most of the countries in BRICS have much more important things to think about than BRICS, a problem made even more acute now with the slew of new partners beset by their own pressing concerns.
South Africa’s finance minister, who also leads his counterparts in Brazil, Russia, India and China, believes that the mooted development of a BRICS common currency is a non-starter. The US dollar still has a firm place in the global economy.
Explore my five fave reads this week after you buy the DM168 newspaper on Saturday morning. If you are one of our loyal Daily Maverick Insiders, you can enjoy reading these stories for free on our e-edition on Sunday morning.
Although no single alternative to the dollar is likely, the shift away from a Western-led global order has begun.
Expanding BRICS from five to 11 members offers the bloc greater economic and political clout, but could also create tensions between members and with the West.
Two of the biggest banks in their respective geographies have committed to building on their already successful 15-year partnership.
South Africa is now part of an organisation that essentially does not even vaguely have democracy as its guiding light.
Six countries will be joining the BRICS collective from the beginning of 2024.
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