Between 2003 and 2011, at least 41 000 children from Africa were sent abroad for adoption according to a recent study. The second highest number from an individual country came from South Africa despite, or maybe because, it has the best adoption regulations on the continent.

At the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Luanda, Angola, Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe and his party Zanu-PF received the message loud and clear. Southern Africa is tired of Zimbabwe’s political turmoil dominating the region’s agenda. For Mugabe, the ability to dictate the terms of a political settlement in Zimbabwe has come to an end. But the danger of the Zimbabwean security establishment intervening in the current delicate political process has become a real possibility.

It is said that the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler could mesmerise or hypnotise large crowds with his oratory powers during the 1930s. He went on to become chancellor of Germany. When a German medical doctor, however, mesmerised people as a method of medical treatment almost two centuries earlier in Vienna, he was chased out of town and fled to Paris.

If a call in March last year by the South African Road Freight  Association and others for a regulatory impact assessment (RIA) of the implementation of the Gauteng e-tolling system had been heeded, it probably would not have descended into the present public battleground.  As things turned out the e-toll saga has exposed a huge weakness in South Africa’s general governance regime. 

The ANC’s four-day policy conference starting today (Tuesday 26 June) in Midrand, is likely to dominate the South African news scene this week. The outcomes of various policy discussion papers can have a crucial influence on a wide range of policy directions. Few, if any, sectors of public life will go untouched. 

Two months ago, most pundits would have backed LJ van Zyl, Caster Semenya and Cameron van der Burgh as South Africa’s most realistic gold-medal contenders at the Olympic Games in London. Sixty days later, the smart money would be on Van der Burgh and Sunette Viljoen to become the first South Africans to win gold at the Games since the SA swimming team won the 4x100 metre freestyle relay at the Games in Athens in 2004.

There must be some worried expressions on the Springbok management’s faces after the third test draw against England in Port Elizabeth. England exposed the limitations in Heyneke Meyer’s game plan and also demonstrated exactly what Australia, New Zealand and Argentina need to do to neutralise the Springboks when the Rugby Championship kicks off in August.