South Africa has made significant strides since achieving freedom 30 years ago, thanks to its human rights-driven constitutional dispensation. This has translated into sound governance and impactful programmes that improve citizens' lives.

To those born after 1994 the impact and meaning of our democracy is very different to those who lived during apartheid and through the democratic change. Life as we now know it was very different prior to 1994, and things we now take for granted were only provided to a select few.

The spate of abuse and killings of children such as the brutal murder and mutilation last year of six-year-old Tshiamo Rabanye and his five-year-old friend Mduduzi Zulu in Johannesburg brings into sharp focus the level of violence that threatens our children.

There are many young people in our country who are ready to enter the working world but find themselves in a Catch-22 situation. They are unable to get a job because they do not have experience and are unable to get the needed experience because they cannot get hired.

The role of social media in shaping public opinion and influencing political outcomes has become undeniable. As South Africa gears up for its upcoming elections, the spectre of disinformation looms large, threatening to undermine the democratic process and distort electoral outcomes.

This year, South Africa will mark 30 years since the inauguration of the first democratically elected President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Plastic is all around us and many people seldom give it a second thought. It has become part of our lives whether as containers, bottles, disposable bags, straws, toys and a multitude of other things.

At first glance plastic might seem harmless, yet it is one of the single most harmful things to our planet and the environment. Plastics can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose and they are often just thrown out with the trash, ending up in landfills or rivers and streams, and eventually the oceans.

Our history has shown that when South Africans pull together in partnership there is nothing that we cannot overcome.

Our country’s energy sector will soon enter into a new era through the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill that sets out to create a competitive and sustainable electricity sector that meets our nation’s energy needs. 

In amongst all the doom and gloom brought on by the electricity crisis, rising interests rates, the high cost of living and the conflict in Ukraine, it might have been missed that our economy has been steadily on the rebound.

The 2023 Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter shows positive growth in the number of jobs. The results show that the number of employed persons increased by 399 000 to 16,7 million in the third quarter of 2023 compared to 16,3 million in the second quarter of 2023.

In February 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that construction work on the Lesotho Highlands Phase Two project would commence. Three months later Phase 2 of the project was launched as promised. This project is aimed at ensuring security of water supply to Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and the Northern Cape.