Posted inGeneral

A life ended too soon

When I was editor of the Cape Times and decided in 1998 to launch a project called “One City, Many Cultures”, I knew that I needed the best people to work on it. It was going to be an editorial project for which I was going to hire some of the best writers and photographers […]

Posted inLifestyle

Hamba kahle Winston Mankunku Ngozi

The news came unexpectedly in a text message this morning (Tuesday 13 October 2009): “Bro Winston Mankunku Ngozi has passed on. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends. May he find peace.” Just two Sundays ago, we were paying tribute to Mankunku and his music at the inappropriately named Swingers jazz club. At […]

Posted inGeneral

Driven by race

I was fortunate last week to attend the Fourth World Summit on Arts and Culture at Museum Africa in Newtown last week. The theme of the summit was “Meeting of Cultures: Creating Meaning Through the Arts”. For three days, we talked about intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity and everyone was agreed, roughly, on the need […]

Posted inLifestyle

Happy birthday, Boeta Robbie

Robbie Jansen, legendary Cape Town jazz saxophonist, flautist and singer, turns 60 today (August 5 2009) … and I am fortunate to pay tribute to this musical great while he is still alive. These days it is quite sad to see Jansen perform with his ever-present oxygen tank. He still tries to hit the high […]

Posted inNews/Politics

A different kind of festival

This week we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Cape Town Festival and I can’t believe that ten years have gone by so quickly. The festival was born out of the “One City, Many Cultures” project that I initiated while I was editor of the Cape Times. The project was a direct response to […]

Posted inLifestyleNews/Politics

From socialists to socialites

It has been interesting to note the personal attacks from ANC alliance leaders to the potential breakaway party to be launched by Mosiuoa Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa. Several ANC leaders, including spokesperson Jessie Duarte, Women’s League President Angie Motshekga, and Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, have taken swipes at Lekota and Shilowa’s personalities and their […]

Posted inGeneral

What if?

What if there had never been apartheid and colonialism in South Africa? Who and what would we have blamed for many of our problems today? What if Nelson Mandela had not spent 27 years in prison? Would he still have been as revered by the international community? Would he still have become our president? What […]