Mondli Makhanya’s paper has been among the chief opponents of Mbeki-ism, which is a tendency to fire those with whom you disagree. However, Mbeki-ism seems to have taken over the Sunday Times. Mondli beware! What Mondli did last Thursday was not only astounding but also embarrassing. How does one fire a columnist on the basis […]
2008
Posted inNews/Politics
Zille, Zillier, Zilliest
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille has been very successful at cultivating the image of a no-nonsense, straight-shooting politician who sticks to her principles — no matter what. Her party has over the years also (rightly) lambasted the ANC for covering up the arms-deal corruption and for making statements aimed at undermining the independence and […]
Posted inGeneral
Afrikaner aspirations: An hour with AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel
Many South Africans believe that leaving the country or sticking it out under a cloud of despair are the only options available to us. Fortunately there are those who believe that we can achieve far better, through peaceful means, operating within the systems of our great country. Carl Martin Kriel (38), born in Johannesburg and […]
Posted inLifestyle
This is how you Write a Novel
And by you I mean “I”, of course. 1. You carry around a notebook and scribble down anything interesting/funny/strange that people say, as well as weird signs, strange sights and anything else pilferable from real life. 2. You type them up in a nice clean Word document. 3. You spend some time trying to figure […]
Posted inMedia
Student media: SA’s ugly duckling
Submitted by Lionel Faull On National Press Freedom Day last October, Daily Dispatch deputy editor Andrew Trench gave a lecture at Rhodes University in which he mentioned the “juniorisation” of South African newsrooms. As deputy editors go, Andrew is pretty young himself. But his point was that there is a yawning gap in age, skills […]
Posted inLifestyle
In defence of coconuts
Years ago Jon Qwelane used to write a column in the Sunday Star called “Just Jon”, and as the lowly features sub I had the weekly task of cleaning up his copy. It never needed any. Qwelane always crafted his columns with great precision and style. So when he called one of Talk Radio 702’s […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Life’s peachy in Zim
Definition of “crisis”, according to the Webster’s dictionary: A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point / An unstable condition, as in political, social, or economic affairs, involving an impending abrupt or decisive change / An emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person’s life. Synonyms: crisis, crossroad, exigency, head, juncture, pass. […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Afro-realists
Submitted by Muhammad Karim I have been bombarded of late with a series of emails and conversations around Afro-optimism versus Afropessimism, with the ultimate aim being to answer this question: What exactly is going on with this country and where exactly is it going? I think it is appropriate to look at all the arguments […]
Posted inBusiness
Be aggressive, BEE aggressive
Submitted by Marius Redelinghuys As a white male in South Africa, I usually encounter raised eyebrows on both extremes of the racial divide when I articulate my support for BEE and AA, with Afrikaner white people labelling me a traitor and sell-out, and along with black people calling me a gatkruiper or arse-kisser. Regardless, I […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Understanding SA politics using a crystal ball
Submitted by John Bond (Complimentary crystal ball provided) I suggest we could adapt Scott Peck’s model on religious and spiritual views as a way of understanding our political views. Use a model that explains religion and spirituality to understand politics? Suggest that one can have an idea of a group’s political actions by using a […]
Posted inGeneral
Let’s talk about the Jews
Despite their relatively small community in South Africa, and indeed their minority status in a lot of places around the world, the Jews have made a big mark. Hostile to outsiders, lavish in giving advantages to its own kind and filled with a persecution complex (all of which, it may be argued, have at least […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Anybody who is Somebody is telling Everybody about Mugabe but Nobody knows what he is thinking
It is almost impossible to know any Truth with a capital T about what President Robert Mugabe is thinking right now. Thus, every time Anybody who is Somebody talks or writes about what is happening in Zimbabwe, Everybody should understand clearly that Nobody knows what is going on in the big man’s head. In fact, […]