As the fight for the leadership of South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) heats up, Nkosanza Dlamini-Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa are attracting the most attention. Dlamini-Zuma, a medi…

The clash between the modern and the traditional is illustrated by the “reed dance.” Performed by “maidens” in the semi-nude, it is widespread among the Ndebele people, including Xhosas and Zulus, in southern Africa. It is perhaps best known in Swaziland, where the king chooses a new wife every year following the annual reed dance.

There is mismatch between what the government asks and expects South African National Defense Forces (SANDF) to do and the money allocated to carry out its missions. The SANDF budget declined again for this fiscal year and stands at only around 1 percent of GDP. (By contrast, the budget for education is just under 5 percent of GDP.) 

There are signs that South Africans are reverting to the non-payment of taxes. The Treasury estimates that half of the revenue shortfall in 2017 resulted from personal income taxes that the government had budgeted for but were not paid. In the short term, the revenue short fall is compelling Ramaphosa to raise the VAT.

During the nine years that Jacob Zuma led the party and was chief of state, portions of the ANC increasingly came to resemble a criminal conspiracy. In some ways, the current round of killings resembles a feud among Mafiosi.