The Daily Friend, South Africa March 22, 2026 June 16, 1976 – What it was like in Soweto on the first day OPINIONS    – LISTEN TO THIS Implausibly, on the morning of 16 June 1976, I first heard there was trouble in Soweto from London. Editors at NBC, the American broadcast network, telephoned me in Johannesburg to say that students were marching to protest the unequal, … Continue reading Being in Soweto on the First Day of the 1976 Student Uprising

Daily Friend (dailyfriend.co.za) March 1, 2026 It’s too early to draw a conclusion. But alarm bells are ringing. Martina Biene, CEO at Volkswagen in the Eastern Cape, says VW’s Kariega plant’s future is on the line. “2026,” she says, “will be a make-or-break year for Volkswagen in South Africa.”  She wants lower taxes, reduced subsidies for partially assembled Chinese vehicles, incentives to produce electric vehicles, … Continue reading The Threat to South Africa’s Biggest Industry

The Daily Friend February 22, 2026 Harare, Zimbabwe: Arriving at Harare’s renovated, ultra-modern airport, I paid for my tourist visa and stepped outside. There was a line of taxis, and I approached one of several men standing and talking next to their vehicles.  “How much to central Harare?” I asked. We agreed on $25 (the US dollar is the currency used in Zim). I gave … Continue reading Welcome to Zimbabwe

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