When Eskom declared Stage 6 load shedding recently, South Africa convulsed in a state of incredible anger.

Herman Mashaba is likely to give the DA more trouble outside the party than he did when he was inside.

So, how do we start fixing the situation we are in? For a start we need to ruthlessly chart the cause and effect of how we got here and then we need to visualise the goal that we need to strive for.

Recently, SA has found itself plunged into a chaotic civil war involving economics, statistics and politics.

The unprecedented delays in announcing his cabinet speak yet again of the untold low intensity civil war being fought at ANC party headquarters Luthuli House down the road in Johannesburg.

Last month's general elections in SA were the most contested and probably the most difficult to call ever.

While hopes are being pinned on the 8 May election to provide the ailing South African economy with new direction and growth, all indications are that this faith may be unfounded.

Against a backdrop of muted economic growth and uncertainty around the upcoming national election, it remains to be seen whether South Africa can return to a path of stability and growth.

We need a new politics, and a new economy to go with it.

Taking lessons from a historical pattern called "Thucydides's Trap," political scientist Graham Allison shows why a rising China and a dominant United States could be headed towards a violent collision no one wants.