Christopher Hitchens in a recent article in Slate magazine entitled – “Mandela Envy” — postulated the following — “But I have a theory of my very own: I believe that Mugabe was also driven into a permanent rage by the adulation heaped internationally on Nelson Mandela, an accolade of praise and recognition that he felt […]
Madiba
Posted inGeneral
Barack Obama echoes Mandela: The rainbow nation address
“Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote: “The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.” We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
Using Madiba
It was interesting to notice last week a few blogs on Thought Leader about Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba. I was hoping to respond to these blogs earlier, but blogging is not my full-time occupation and I just could not find the time to do so. I have always felt that many people use […]
Posted inGeneral
The Madiba magic to look a racist straight in the eye
Blacks love their white people, even if they are racist. Many of them are. We blacks have even coined a term of endearment for them: abelungu bethu, which simply means our superior white people. You see, when you are black and have the confidence and courage to look a white person in the eye, you […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle
Madiba, the millionaire and the music man: Memories of Michelle
I never met Mandela, but Michelle did, twice. I asked her what she thought of him the first time because I placed huge value upon her judgement, and knew she’d soon be gone. A few months later she was dead, but she’d told us she liked the old man because he treated her like a […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
The first time I met Mandela
The first time I met Nelson Mandela I learnt some important things. The second time I met him those things were confirmed. Like all journalists I’ve met presidents, prime ministers, legends and numerous real celebrities, but I didn’t meet Madiba as a journalist. I’ve met Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, John Vorster and PW Botha […]