President Thabo Mbeki utilised state machinery to frame an innocent Jacob Zuma to get rid of the political threat posed by his (then) deputy. This is an assertion that has been whispered privately for years, with a few brave souls uttering it out loud in public. My brain is simplistic enough to believe that there […]
2008
Posted inLifestyle, Tech
How expensive is it to stay connected?
I certainly enjoy being connected to the Internet and digital world, but as my bills poured in at the end of the month, I started wondering just how much this is costing me. Here is a (very approximate) breakdown: 3G modem, 1 Gig , R350 3G modem, 2 Gig, R550 Cellphone contract, R500 Blackberry subscription, […]
Posted inGeneral
Deliver us from the political rally
So I am supposed to feel guilty and unpatriotic that on April 27 –- Freedom Day -– I went to play golf. Maybe I should feel even more guilty that I played well in spite of my killer hangover from the binge at the tombstone unveiling the previous day. Clearly my guilt was not strong […]
Posted inGeneral
More thoughts on the importance of universities
In my last posting I ended by talking of the beneficial ‘enlightenment’ effects of a certain approach to scientific disciplines. There I used the term ‘enlightenment’ advisedly, and what I had in mind is its historico–philosophical meaning, especially in light of the so–called postmodern temperament of the present era. As everyone should know, the historical […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Stuff the poor
I was reading the Sunday Times last week and noticed an article about a gathering in Zambia by some of South Africa’s top CEOs. They met for part of the time they were there, but they also partied quite hard, from all accounts. What was the point of this article, I thought? And why did […]
Posted inBusiness
Skills revolution will suffer without Mantashe
The news that Gwede Mantashe will no longer head the government’s Jipsa programme is bad news for the skills revolution. In early 2006 the Deputy President launched, Asgisa – the government’s drive for higher economic growth. The skills shortage was seen as the biggest impediment (or binding constraint) to reaching the target of 6% annual […]
Posted inGeneral
Ronnie Morris was a hero
On the 8th July 1991, as a 21-year-old intern at the Cape Times, I found myself, like most interns, in a strange place: a real newsroom, among strangers in a foreign town, Cape Town, far from my home in Johannesburg. It didn’t help that it had rained heavily that winter morning and in my walk […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Don’t blame racist students — blame their parents
Just a week ago a young white male was mercilessly beaten at the University of Johannesburg by other white males for standing with a black girl. In February, the same university had an incident of a black male forced into a cold shower for some four hours. Now another race driven incident repeats itself, in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Is anybody advising our president?
I don’t pretend to know anything about politics. In fact, I generally avoid it like the plague, leaving it to those who are passionate about it to comment on the folly of politicians. But I can’t help wondering what on earth is going on in Thabo Mbeki’s head. Perhaps someone can explain his point of […]
Posted inSport
Rewriting the record books
Not even the passage of 27 years and two World Cup victories have been enough to exorcise the horror of that moment. 16-3 down at half-time in the deciding Test of the 1981 New Zealand tour, the Boks had miraculously fought back to level the scores at 22-all, with only injury-time left. But referee Clive […]
Posted inGeneral
So, Mr Zuma: Those high fuel prices bothering you too?
Dear Mr Zuma When you voiced your concern in a speech last week about escalating fuel prices, you can be sure that every single South African, with the exception perhaps of the current Cabinet incumbents and a few hardarses at Sasol, would have been more than willing to forgive you all your past indecretions including […]
Posted inGeneral
The free-will delusion?
Imagine that you are in your favourite room at home. My personal favourite room in the house is my bedroom. I love my bedroom because; simply by being in there, I reduce the statistical probability of running into my three-year old and accidentally ripping out his Adam’s apple by a factor of three. I’m a […]