Creator
Currently based in São Paulo, Benjamin Fogel is a PhD candidate in Latin American history at New York University and is a contributing editor for Jacobin magazine and website Africa is a Country
South Africans are learning the hard way that corruption cannot simply be solved through technical fixes and increasing “accountability” through locking the villains up
Individualistic values, reflected in everything from the the prosperity gospel and capitalism to social media influencers, may be overcome when we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic
The Brazilian president broke self-isolation, despite being exposed to Covid-19, and has encouraged his supporters to do the same, while his health minister battles to contain…
The SACP is not building socialism, or even social democracy. Sadly, it has become just another party advancing the politics of patronage
There is no left-wing representation at any level and to start one needs clear thought
As the fallout from Lava Jato shows, we must be wary of factionalism in the fight against graft
Politicians depend on our ability to forget their worst transgressions in order to manipulate the public discourse
Falsehoods spread through media and politicians serve to polarise, destabilise and depoliticise
Elections can be used to build a movement that advances a democratic socialist alternative
South African politics urgently needs an injection of electoral energy from the left, that speaks in a language that resonates with voters
The emergence of parties such as the African Transformation Movement signals a worrying trend
Even the rats are jumping ship as the economy flounders amid poor governance decisions
South Africans could embrace an authoritarian state if the government fails to address current social and economic issues
Jair Bolsonaro is the embodiment of the most hardline faction military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for twenty-one years
The bitter reality is that there is a real chance of the country returning to a dictatorship and its darkest days
Despite a plea from the UN, the country’s court ruled that Lula da Silva can’t run in the presidential elections
Blighted by a series of political scandals, the country’s hard-won democracy is on the skids
A group of mostly SA Jews are dedicating their Yom Kippur fast to reflect on being Jewish in the context of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
Despite going from being a scab to striking worker and being recently unemployed, Jaurie Scheepers remains hopeful. "My God will make a plan for me".
De Doorns residents have claimed they had nothing to do with the strike but have been brutalised, writes Benjamin Fogel.
