South Africa's highest court has unequivocally rejected Thabo Mbeki's application to have the decision that effectively cost him his Presidency (or at least provided the excuse for his antagonists to unsheath the knives) reconsidered. The National Prosecuting Authority is appealing the same case, albeit on different grounds, but ultimately, Mbeki's long-shot effort has failed, and even if he had won it is hard to envision a situation whereby he would have been reinstated.
The question remains, however, as to which way Mbeki's political loyalties will flow in the weeks to come. He still has some political capital and not a few loyalists who will be inclined to follow him whichever way he goes. It is impossible to imagine him ever coming close to the presidency again, but he does seem poised to help play the role of kingmaker in the future.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
