Following the announcement by the BRICS Summit (between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), that a deal has been reached to establish a development bank that will rival western-backed institutions, the questions now turn to where the bank's headquarters will be located, how the funding will work, and from which country its chief executive officer will come. It is imperative, however, that these questions do not overshadow the critically required conversation on the role that the development bank will play in stimulating infrastructure projects on the continent.

During political campaigning, as in war, truth is often the first victim. This has again been tragically and dangerously illustrated by the reaction from most quarters to the sad news of the death of 13 South African soldiers on a legitimate mission in the Central African Republic (CAR). Those sons of South Africa were badly failed by the neglect of opposition in parliament and by government for allowing ‘mission creep’ to take place. 

The financial bailout deal enforced last week on Cyprus is truly a case where size does not matter. It not only sets a dangerous precedent, but its implications are far more than merely financial. It is also political, and plays into the already volatile eastern Mediterranean geopolitical arena.  

While good progress has been made in South Africa to enable greater access to affordable housing opportunities for citizens, much work remains to be done to assist those trapped in the so-called ‘gap market’. Home ownership among households with incomes too low for traditional private bond financing, but too high for government-subsidised housing, is presently only 49%.

In a shock development, finance minister Pravin Gordhan last week appointed a retired judge to probe allegations of impropriety against South African Revenue Service commissioner, Oupa Magashula. This is but the latest in a string of incidents undermining confidence in South African public institutions. 

In his recent testimony to the United States’ House Armed Services Committee, the soon-to-be-replaced commanding officer, General Carter Ham, was upbeat about the accomplishments and the future of the US Africa Command (Africom), now in its fifth year of existence. But most African states, including South Africa, are still sceptical about Africom’s real purpose and are questioning its motives. 

While Rassie Erasmus has done wonders to ensure the sharing of knowledge and experience between top South Africa rugby coaches, the fact that South Africa is still opposed to central contracts for their main players, might be a key factor in why New Zealand remains the number one rugby nation in the world. 

Most of us have just had a lovely break over the Easter weekend and some of us attended church to celebrate and commemorate the resurrection of Christ, or the Passover – recalling the history of the Jewish people in Egypt, as recorded in the book of Exodus. Sitting in church, I started wondering why this festive time is called ‘Easter’ in English – only to discover that over the years there has been some controversy surrounding the name.

The return leg of the World Cup qualifier in June between South Africa and the Central African Republic (CAR) might be played at a neutral venue after rebels seized control of Bangui, the capital of that nation. But are South Africa’s focus sufficiently on that match after winning the first qualifier 2-0 in Cape Town recently?