For those of us who believed nothing could surpass South Africa’s apartheid system, current developments raise troubling questions.
Image: AFP
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It has been clearly documented that Germany’s dictator, Adolf Hitler, frantically issued last-minute orders to execute as many of his enemies as possible during his final days.
The writing was on the wall. Thanks to Russia joining the Allies in 1941, Germany, as a supremacist power, was destined for defeat.
In those last desperate days, Hitler ordered the annihilation of Jews and others to continue even after his own anticipated death in a hidden bunker.
This included brutal forced marches under freezing conditions that led thousands to death.
Returning to 2026, Israel’s high command has now reportedly introduced the death penalty for Palestinians allegedly involved in the October 2023 attacks.
This law would apply exclusively to Palestinians in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
The timing and urgency with which this legislation is being pursued evokes disturbing historical parallels.
For those of us who believed nothing could surpass South Africa’s apartheid system, current developments raise troubling questions.
Even during apartheid, many political prisoners who had been accused of acts labelled as “terrorism” were granted reprieves in the system’s final years.
This demonstrates that there are different grades of evil and different forms of desperation that come into play when regimes feel threatened. EBRAHIM ESSA | Durban
Donald Trump’s highly publicised May 2026 state visit to China is being widely viewed by analysts as a diplomatic disappointment, producing no major agreements or meaningful policy breakthroughs.
Although the US president described his meeting with Xi Jinping as “fantastic”, his comments afterwards offered little substance.
Observers noted that the carefully staged talks, attended by leading American business figures, appeared more like political theatre than a serious attempt to tackle global instability, arms control, trade disputes, or economic pressures facing ordinary Americans.
Despite expectations of progress on tariffs, Taiwan, Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and broader trade tensions, Trump reportedly left China without securing concrete concessions from Beijing.
The summit also ended without a joint statement or signed agreements, reinforcing perceptions that symbolism mattered more than results.
Instead of returning with tangible diplomatic gains or measures to improve economic conditions for working-class Americans, Trump appeared more captivated by China’s grand ballroom designs and expressed interest in building a similar one in the US. MOHAMED SAEED | Pietermaritzburg
Why would opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid believe that replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will suddenly restore Israel’s international standing when they themselves broadly support the wars in Gaza and elsewhere in the region?
The two former prime ministers appear mistaken if they believe a change in leadership alone will rehabilitate Israel’s global image after elections expected before the end of October.
A United Nations commission has determined that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, and many critics argue that Bennett and Lapid differ little from Netanyahu on key policies.
Under such circumstances, merely changing leaders is unlikely to bring Israel back into favour internationally. ERIC PALM | Gympie, Australia
Let’s put all statues to life and make them clear up our sewage problem. If It doesn’t work, then we stop creating statues and focus on fixing the city’s problem instead. To all you statue advocates: you need to wipe the s*** of your faces. | Joe
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Medical aid company Gems were forced to reduce their hefty increases in membership contributions after unions protested widely. Unions must now tackle other public service schemes, like Bonitas, who rip us off. | Anonymous
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