The Editor's Desk - Mon 12 Jan 2026: Southern Africa’s political tremors, and a rules-based world under strain

Eight weeks before the vote, Corné Mulder promised Alec Hogg a surprise. His Freedom Front Plus delivered its best result since 1994, but Mulder was more interested in what came next. He set out a three-party plan to run Gauteng's metros without the ANC, said it could be wrapped up…

In his latest interview with Chris Steyn, Sean McLaughlin, the co-founder of Norsira, takes viewers on a road trip to cities and towns in all the provinces across the country to view the coalition options in a big range of cities and towns in the wake of last week’s Local…

Cheaper health insurance can look like a lifeline when the cost of living and the cost of medical aid schemes keep climbing. Medical schemes had an average contribution increase of 8.10% in 2026, and new entrants and current members alike are asking whether health insurance could take the place of…

Coalition talks had barely started, and the two people at the centre of the Joburg question were already telling different stories. Herman Mashaba told Alec Hogg he had phoned DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis with an offer: he and Helen Zille would both step back, the DA would lead Johannesburg and…

While Namibia drilled its way towards an oil boom, South Africa produced court cases. Economist Iraj Abedian told Alec Hogg that the research needed to change that was finished years ago. He revealed the plan he drew up as a ministerial adviser to turn the Northern Cape into a petrochemical…