During the past few weeks I seem to have spawned a fan club of several charming individuals who have left comments informing me that because I am white I have no right to tackle issues such as the Zimbabwean crisis. It’s interesting because these persons don’t demand that I censor myself on the basis of […]
2008
Posted inGeneral
Yes Mr President but what about “humanitarian racism”?
You’ve been reading the blog for a while now so by this time you know I am vehemently anti–racist — getting bombed by the left and the right for standing up for one group or another at different times. If I tell the whites to accept Skielik as racist I get pounded. If I tell […]
Posted inGeneral
The importance of universities
It seems to me that it is important to reflect regularly on the function of universities in today’s rapidly changing, postmodern society, in the face of circumstances and forces that endanger the continued existence of this centuries-old institution. What I am talking about is what seems to me to be the drift towards a narrowing […]
Posted inGeneral
Zimbabwe presidency results: I smell a rat
Something tells me that confirmation by the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will hang onto its parliamentary majority, is just a ruse to lend credibility to the latest of Mugabe’s insane schemes — that the “Old Man” has won the presidential election. Wild and woolly? Let’s look at a […]
Posted inGeneral
Would a Labour Party unite South Africans?
South African trade unions, as well as those from other African states, received recognition, locally and accross the globe, for refusing to allow a Chinese ship carrying arms to offload its deadly cargo destined for the Zimbabwean conflict. It was an example of how an African Renaissance could produce solutions for African countries if people […]
Posted inGeneral
Where are we heading?
Submitted by Robert Hamer If you were to ask my friends and family, you would probably find me to be one of the most optimistic people about South Africa. At every opportunity I speak with great vigour and defend my country to all the assaults that are launched on it — from crime and corruption […]
Posted inLifestyle
Consider our children: Thoughts on hyperactivity and mind-altering drugs
Candice apologised for her son Amo. He was, she said, just hyperactive. He was destroying my home and possessions, and spreading my tools round the whole house. I grabbed my two little pull-back toy cars, sat myself on the floor and we played for 20 minutes, until I became bored. He concentrated on making the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Americans: Good people with bad publicity
Submitted by Catherine Parker I feel compelled to provide another perspective on Tony Jackman’s “Ten places I’d sooner live than have a green card“. At the heart of Jackman’s argument is that American society is so off-putting that he’d rather live anywhere else than there. Two years ago, I would have agreed wholeheartedly. After all, […]
Posted inLifestyle
Are you busy on Sunday?
If not (and if you’re in Cape Town), why not come along to the Ubuntu-Tibet Freedom Day Event? There’s a full day’s programme, but it all begins with a meditation on top of Table Mountain, followed by a ceremony at St George’s Cathedral at 11.30am and a peace walk. They’re having a free Peace Concert […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Well-heeled make the Madiba magic fade as they carry on with business as usual
The privileged class would rather enjoy a life of luxury and indulge in shopping sprees than attend Freedom Day celebrations. They have no shame that their wealth is gotten by stealing and monopolising the Earth’s wealth for themselves, exploiting the working poor and perpetuating class-exclusive lifestyles and economic injustice. In fact, it is so business […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The insecurity dilemma faced by Zimbabwe’s ruling elite
Reflecting on the crisis in Zimbabwe, one is immediately struck by the preoccupation of most commentators with President Robert Mugabe and the land reform programme. Many have touted the confluence of these two issues as the main drivers of that country’s political, economic and humanitarian woes. This particular perspective, which is most dominant in the […]
Posted inGeneral
Satirically speaking …
Since the publishing of David Bullard’s “controversial” column: Uncolonised Africa wouldn’t know what it was missing, much has surfaced in terms of debate concerning the message the piece sends. Many have called the piece racist and offensive, and others have found it to be satiric. After lengthy discussions with media students at the University of […]