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By CHRIS MAKHAYE The rolling hills of northern KwaZulu‑Natal - stretching into Mozambique and Eswatini - have become a battlefield where elephants, villagers and poachers collide. This borderland has turned into a staging ground for both human‑wildlife conflict and organised poaching syndicates. This is happening despite repeated interventions by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and conservation groups. Since 2022, a number of elephants have been killed in the region. Some were shot by

Media and Society By MARGARET NDAWONDE My name is Margaret Ndawonde. I am a writer by instinct, and a Media and Communications professional by trade. My journey into the industry began in the mid-1990s, rooted in Creative Writing before evolving into a trainee reporter role at a time when South Africa itself was undergoing a profound transformation. I entered the field through magazine journalism as a feature writer—an entry point some of my peers at the time regarded as “sof

By CHRIS MAKHAYE As soon as President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africans will head to the polls on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, the country’s restless social media community erupted. Within minutes, timelines filled with sharp commentary, biting humour and weary cynicism. One viral post quipped: “If they fix the potholes before November, I’ll vote twice — once for the road, once for the party.” Another joked: “Electricity cuts are so bad, I’ll take my ballot to Esko

The Quest Correspondents A cartoon of Don and Ben in a Zulu village Historical Background The roots of the current war stretch back decades. In 1953, a CIA-backed coup in Iran reinstated Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, aligning Iran closely with the United States and Israel. During the Shah’s reign, Iran supplied oil to Israel and cooperated militarily against Arab neighbors. This alliance collapsed with the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established th

By LINDA XIMBA With just 42 days to go before Bafana Bafana kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in Mexico, anticipation is building across South Africa as fans await the final squad announcement. Drawn in Group A, Bafana will face hosts Mexico, South Korea and the Czech Republic in what promises to be a thrilling group. As the nation waits, The Quest has stepped into the selector’s seat to predict the 23-man squad that could carry South Africa’s hopes on the global st

The Betrayal of the Poor Continues By THAPELO MOHAPI Thapelo Mohapi says the freedom has been for the rich as the poor continued to suffer hardships in last 32 years South Africa is preparing to mark 32 years of democracy. We are told that we are free. We are told that we should celebrate. For millions of people, especially the poor, there is nothing to celebrate. The promise of a better life for all was made to our people. That promise was carried by those who fought, those

By LINDANI BUTHELEZI When South Africa gained independence in 1994 it was not only the political landscape that changed. The automotive sector was one industry that was poised to shift. Thirty-two years later South Africa didn't just gain democracy, it gained a car culture entirely its own. From the days of leaded fuel, when a clean light grey tailpipe told your neighbours everything they needed to know about how well you looked after your machine, or insimbi, iketi, ikari

By LINDA XIMBA South Africa’s sporting journey since the end of apartheid in 1994 has been defined by symbolic triumphs, global competitiveness, and persistent challenges around transformation and consistency. Siya Kolisi has been pivotl in Springobok's recent sucess. The country has often punched above its weight on the international stage across multiple codes, while using sport as a powerful tool for nation-building and social cohesion. This vision was most powerfully embo

By MBULELO BALOYI and CHRIS MAKHAYE DURBAN — Confidence in democracy in KwaZulu-Natal is rapidly eroding. This is according to the new survey findings of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and Human Sciences Research Council’s 2026 Voter Participation Survey presented during stakeholder engagements in Durban this week. Eroding Confidence in Democracy The findings point to deep public disillusionment with political leadership, governance and the performance of dem

By ZAKHELE NDLOVU South Africa’s entry into coalition governance represents a defining structural shift in its post-1994 democratic order. The country is now navigating “uncharted terrain” after decades of one-party dominance. For nearly 30 years, the African National Congress (ANC) dominated electoral politics, routinely securing comfortable majorities that rendered opposition parties peripheral. Elections were less about who would govern and more about the extent of ANC con

Patterns That Shape the Everyday By RICHARD PITHOUSE More than three decades after the end of apartheid, South Africa has not resolved its crisis of violence. We have one of the highest murder rates in the world, and more than 27,000 people were killed last year, an average of around 76 a day. Police storming the crime scene. Most of those killed are young men, often in public space. Women are most often killed in private space, usually by intimate partners. Guns, Masculinity

By MUSA E. ZULU On 27 April 2026, South Africa will mark 32 years of democracy—just days after I celebrate 31 years in my wheelchair following a car accident on 20 April 1995. My paralysis came only a week before the country’s first year of freedom from apartheid. Musa E. Zulu, the E stands for Elvis. I was paralyzed 14 years after 1981, the International Year of Disabled Persons. That same year, Friday Mavuso founded Disabled People of South Africa (DPSA), sparking a revolu

KASI PATRIOT Political Theatre in Rubber Ducks Ours is a confusing country. It is a country where, ever so often — usually after announcing plans to construct a wall to separate the “undesirables” (read: Black and poor) from the “respectable” mostly White middle classes — leaders of so‑called liberal parties arrive, cameras rolling and livestreams primed, to perform compassion. An AI generated image of Cape Town's Dividing Wall, dubbed by others as the Berlin Wall of Cape Tow

By CHRIS MAKHAYE THE Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) will only decide in September whether it continues to back the ANC or shifts its support to the SACP in the upcoming local government elections, as fractures in the tripartite alliance take a dramatic turn for the worst. The federation’s 15th National Elective Congress will not only determine COSATU’s political direction but will also elect new leadership, with the presidency and other top positions expected

THE QUEST SPECIAL SERIES 32 Years of Democracy: A Reckoning, Not a Ritual Thirty‑two years after the 1994 South African general election, South Africa should be in a season of quiet confidence. Instead, it stands at a crossroads, caught between the promise of its founding moment and the pressures of an unsettled present. The democratic project, anchored in the Constitution, was never meant to be symbolic. It was a blueprint for transformation — economic, social, and instituti

Pigs, Children and Tombstones: Coedmore’s Struggle for Dignity By CHRIS MAKHAYE Noyise Ncedo, her dauughter and granddaughter. Children zigzag between tombstones like it’s an obstacle course, their laughter competing with pigs that root through rubbish like unpaid municipal workers. Gravestones double as benches, laundry stations, and sometimes even tables for a cold drink. Welcome to Coedmore — an informal settlement built inside an old Hindu cemetery, where life goes on qui

By MBULELO BALOYI South African voters queuing to cast their ballot. AS South Africa marks 32 years since the historic 1994 election, the mood is more reflective than celebratory. Freedom Month, once defined by optimism and the “rainbow nation,” now unfolds against frustration, inequality, and a crisis of confidence in state institutions. For many—especially the youth—the promise of liberation feels like a story of deferred dreams. The Promise and the Reality The early democr

By CHRIS MAKHAYE Two of the most (in)famous recent residents of eBhongweni Correctional facility that Kokstad locals often chat about. Kokstad was once known for its sprawling cattle ranches and its role as a gateway between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Today, that identity is fading. Street-corner conversations now turn to water shortages—and to the imposing fortress on the town’s edge: eBhongweni Correctional Centre. Built in 2002 as South Africa’s first standalone s

By CHRIS MAKHAYE and MBULELO BALOYI Since announcing her candidature for the the position of Joburg's First Lady, DA's Helen Zille has been on a campaign, partaking in a number of antics, speeches and visits aimed at drawing the attention of the voters. JOHANNESBURG, Africa’s richest city is heading for another bruising electoral contest, but the real battle may not be at the ballot box. It will be in the backroom negotiations that follow. With local government elections due

Justice: Blind, Squinting EFF leader Julius "CIC" Malema was sentenced but he has appealed. Shoot the Boer, Shoot the air or Shoot the breeze... I generally make it a point to avoid matters that require erudite minds – my own intellectual toolkit being somewhat more blunt than the lyrical offerings of Phakel’umthakathi and his ensemble when seized by patriotic enthusiasm. Still, every so often, I succumb to temptation and stage a brief, largely unconvincing impersonation of a