Opinion

Labelling Israeli injustice

For three long years, activists across the country campaigned to ban Israel’s practice of falsely labelling goods that are made in its illegal settlements as "made in Israel". In April this year, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued a regulation banning this practice.

Jonathan Dockney

Opinion | 3 July 2013

Egypt’s second revolution

As massive protests swept across Egypt on Sunday, many outside of Egypt were surprised to see the sheer volumes of people that were unhappy with President Mohamed Morsi and his government, so soon after the revolution.

Mary Fawzy

Opinion | 3 July 2013

Go beyond lawyers for new judges

Should only lawyers be made judges? Greg Solik says no. He argues that for the judiciary to transform we need to go beyond the legal profession.

Greg Solik

Opinion | 3 July 2013

Dancing and tears greet book treaty for blind

On 22 June a treaty for the blind was heading for disaster as negotiators stalled and refused to budge on hardline positions. Three days later a negotiator stepped out of a boardroom in the Atlas Medina hotel in Marrakesh and announced to a crowd of tense and exhausted observers, "We have a text!" The tears and dancing that followed is hardly what you’d associate with the making of international law.

Marcus Low

Opinion | 3 July 2013

Cameron to African leaders: End stigma against gays

This is an edited transcript of a speech by Judge Edwin Cameron on 28 June at the UNAIDS/LANCET Commissioners Dinner in Malawi. Cameron criticised stigmatising laws that hamper the response to HIV.

Edwin Cameron

Opinion | 2 July 2013

Microchip road to real democracy

The advice of the Italian revolutionary, Antonio Gramsci constantly comes to mind these days: exercise pessimism of the intellect, but optimism of the will. I must admit that it has become a great deal easier over recent months to exercise pessimism of the intellect — and increasingly difficult to exercise optimism of the will to do something about changing things, domestically or globally.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 2 July 2013

Building coalitions against US human rights abuses is hard

On Sunday I helped organise and participated in a small protest against human rights abuses and inadequate action on climate change by the Obama administration during his visit to the University of Cape Town.

Eduard Grebe

Opinion | 2 July 2013

President Obama, we’re not in Kansas anymore

I have examined myself and cannot find an anti-American bone. I don’t feel conflicted at the fact that I prefer hamburgers to kneidlach soup or cholent or pap.

Doron Isaacs

Opinion | 1 July 2013

Private Security: a law unto themselves?

The private security industry in South Africa is one of the largest in the world, with active registered security guards outnumbering police by almost three to one and eight security companies for every police station.

Craig Oosthuizen

Opinion | 26 June 2013

Heading for the 2014 (E)lection

E-tolling, excrement and expanded public works. Apart from starting with the letter “E” they appear at first sight to have nothing in common. But with the country heading toward what promises to be a bitterly contested election in April or May next year, they are not only linked, they are likely to be major campaigning features.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 24 June 2013

Transformation by quota is barking mad

Jack Lewis argues that government's transformation plan is based on identity politics and is misguided. He asks people on the political left to speak out against it.

Jack Lewis

Opinion | 19 June 2013

Declaration of economic war in South Africa

For all the sound and fury of the current fight between poultry producers and meat importers, their dispute may turn out to be only a minor skirmish in what promises to be a war of words and protest action aimed at securing the high ground of economic policy. And central to this will be the question of land.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 19 June 2013

The Opaque Prism Part Three: How can we make our online lives more secure?

This is the last in a three-part series on the United States government's PRISM programme.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 June 2013

The Opaque Prism Part Two: What’s wrong with PRISM?

This is the second in a three-part series on the United States government's PRISM programme.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 June 2013

The Opaque Prism Part One: Some Internet users aren’t American

This is the first in a three-part series on the United States government's PRISM programme.

Nathan Geffen

Opinion | 18 June 2013

Maverick and the Dockrats: Where is the al-Qaeda link?

One month ago the Daily Maverick published an article by De Wet Potgieter headlined "Al Qaeda is alive and well in South Africa." A second part was promised, but has still not been published.

Yael Even Or and Camila Osorio

Opinion | 17 June 2013