Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

Despite what we hear, no-one will use the country's rugby World Cup win to unite us behind common goals. In weeks, we will be fighting with each other as usual.

This is good news. A rugby win does not change the reality that we are a deeply divided society  and so there is nothing strange about our lack of unity. We will make more progress if we recognise this and deal with it than if we try to wish it away because people cheer for the same sports teams.

This is the argument of my Against the Tide column this week, which was sent to subscribers this morning. To read it and other articles on current politics, visit the Against the Tide website and subscribe. If you can't afford a subscription, contact us at info@againstthetide.co.za to discuss a reduced or free subscription.

Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.