A 19-year-old teenager from Florida, USA, Abraham K Biggs, elected to commit suicide before an online forum carrying an estimated audience of 1 500 viewers. With his webcam rolling he took an overdose of tablets and lay down on a bed. As always there those who did not take him seriously and actively encouraged him […]
2008
Posted inNews/Politics
Constitutional lessons for the comrades I
Some ANC bigwigs are in dire need of serious lessons in understanding the finer points of our Constitution. God knows, they really need them. Lesson number one is about freedom of expression (article 16) and freedom of assembly (article 17), both rights enshrined in our Bill of Rights. So listen up, comrades. Please, I ask […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Motlanthe must demand Home Affairs, Finance for Tsvangirai
Yesterday’s decision by the South African cabinet to withhold certain aid to Zimbabwe until a representative government is in place is highly commendable. This along with the strong message that they sent to Mugabe et al that this country is running out of patience with our neighbour’s leaders is long overdue. We can only hope […]
Posted inGeneral
Land reform: killing the economy and hurting the poor
The headline reads “End of the giant farms”. The subtitle should be: food prices hurt poor the most. I spend quite a bit of time in rural communities and know very well the struggles and strife faced by poor rural people. Land shortage is a real issue in some places, but I find what is […]
Posted inBusiness, Media
Mortgage sluts and America’s sales culture
One of the plays I studied in Drama and Film 201 was Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet. Winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1984 and adapted in 1992 into a movie starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon and Alec Baldwin, it’s a tale of a group of property salesmen frantically trying to persuade unwitting members […]
Posted inGeneral
SA showing signs of peaking at the right time
South Africa’s preparations to host the 2010 World Cup face the next hurdle with this weekend’s draw for the 2009 Confederations Cup. It’s no secret that the “Festival of Champions”, which pits continental winners against the holders (Italy) and hosts of the World Cup, is a key curtain-raiser for 2010, both on and off the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Congress of the People: Can politicians change their spots?
This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: Congress of the People: Can politicians change their spots?
Posted inNews/Politics
Zuma tackles creationism
With the ANC set to rule until the second coming of Jesus, ANC president Jacob Zuma thought it might be appropriate to confirm his views to a gathering of religious leaders just outside Polokwane on Wednesday. This would seem to indicate that either the religious vote is believed to be vital to the party’s chances […]
Posted inLifestyle
Remember feeling inspired?
I do. I remember feeling inspired a lot as a kid and even as a teenager — there were all these people to aspire to be like, all these things to learn, all this world out there. The problem is, once you enter the world you have to pretend you know what you’re doing, and […]
Posted inGeneral
Enoh
Eyong Enoh shows the way: from SA PSL to Dutch Premier League Eyong Enoh (22, Cameroon) is surprising a lot of soccer fans in South Africa, Cameroon, Holland and the rest of Europe. After playing for Ajax Cape Town for 18 months, Enoh joined the Dutch Premier League (‘Eredivisie’) team, and former European champions Ajax […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
The story beneath
Covering the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Ministerial Forum in Bamako, Mali, did not come without its challenges. The conference was called largely to push the interests of huge international organisations, like World Bank, and to shamelessly promote investment in health systems’ research that will ultimately benefit those who are keen to loan huge amounts […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zimbabwe: cholera epidemic symptomatic of Zanu-PF, SADC debacle
South Africa has already treated 66 Zimbabwean patients for cholera as a result of an epidemic which has broken out in that country following the collapse of their sanitation system, which is being exacerbated by the fact that their healthcare has also imploded. www.mg.co.za/article/2008-11-19-zim-health-services-in-state-of-collapse Of course as South Africans we are acutely aware of the […]