Tara's Take

The Steenhuisen Saga and the Illusion of the 'DA Difference'

Why better branding is not the same as better politics

Feb 11 • Tara Roos

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January 2026

South Africa Is Becoming Politically Unrecognisable

Polarisation, grievance, and the collapse of a shared national identity

Jan 28 • Tara Roos

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The Dark Prince: Pieter du Toit’s forensic probe of Paul Mashatile

Pieter du Toit’s The Dark Prince is an unflinching investigation into Paul Mashatile’s ascent from Alexandra township activist to the corridors of…

Jan 25 • Tara Roos

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November 2025

South Africa and the New G20 Stand-Off: Why Ramaphosa vs Trump Reveals a Changing World

How American pressure revived South Africa’s defence of sovereignty

Nov 25, 2025 • Tara Roos

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The Allure of Zohran Mamdani, and The Hard Truth About South Africa

Why a progressive victory in New York cannot be replicated in a conservative, disengaged South African electorate.

Nov 18, 2025 • Tara Roos

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Beyond the Bob: The Scramble to Fill the DA's Most Powerful Seat

Helen’s Big Move and the DA’s Bigger Problem

Nov 4, 2025 • Tara Roos

October 2025

AI, Misinformation, and the Death of Context

Weaponised statistics in the AI age are reshaping public perception. Oversimplified data now distorts the full picture

Oct 2, 2025 • Tara Roos

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August 2025

Breaking the Myth of Coloured Exceptionalism

The resurgence of Coloured nationalism in South Africa, framed as a response to exclusion and disadvantage, reflects a deep crisis of identity and…

Aug 28, 2025 • Tara Roos

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In Defence of Voting: Fragile, Flawed, but Still Ours

Why democracy’s failures do not make voting futile, but all the more necessary.

Aug 21, 2025 • Tara Roos

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July 2025

We Aren’t Angry Enough: South Africa’s Apathy Feeds the Political Rot

South Africans watched, partly aghast but mostly indifferent, as President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” in the…

Jul 22, 2025

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The DA’s Path to Power Begins in Opposition, Not in Office

The Democratic Alliance (DA) entered the Government of National Unity (GNU) under the pretext of preventing what it described as a "doomsday coalition…

Jul 8, 2025 • Tara Roos

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June 2025

Another Party, Same Old Story: Floyd Shivambu and the Futility of Political Recycling

South Africa doesn’t need yet another party led by a man who’s already been in three — it needs principled leadership, not careerist reinvention.

Jun 24, 2025 • Tara Roos