With the world markets a mess and most South Africans hopelessly loaded with debt, this Christmas season doesn’t look like it is going to be the most memorable for the retailer’s bottom lines. But I can see a definite silver lining to this dark cloud. Gift giving around Christmas time should never have become the […]
2008
Posted inGeneral
The Musical Stones
After writing prose and poetry, probably my greatest love is teaching creative writing. I always jump at the task to take writing courses for children and university students. I gave my writing classes the beginning of a fantasy story I wrote, called Ricky and the Musical Stones There once was a small island off the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The 2009 elections may not be free and fair
South Africa, since the birth of democracy, has enjoyed an uninterrupted record of “free and fair” elections. In all three instances in 1994, 1999 and 2004, there has never been a challenge of the election results. In these elections the ANC was assured of victory and never had a formidable challenge. The 2009 elections may […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Motlanthe vs Zuma: Better than a coalition government
Weekend newspapers including City Press and Rapport were alleging that the African National Congress had instructed the SABC to feature the ANC president Jacob Zuma more than the national president Kgalema Motlanthe and to make the latter seem less presidential. If this is true I’d like to meet the genius who came up with it. […]
Posted inGeneral
How I fell in love with Miriam Makeba (and Moyo)
Thulani sang and stomped about like a teenager on crack on Saturday night, except that he’s not an adolescent, and it had nothing to do with crack. And he did it all for Mamma Afrika, Saint Miriam the Great, may she rest on pillows of silk, garlanded with roses, scented with jasmine and fanned by […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Miriam Makeba’s Leopard-Print Dress
On stage before the velvet drop, three men hidden by your hips, instrumental ciphers — double bass, guitar, drums — they strum; you stroll and roll your eyes. Say them slow — Saar-tjie Baart-man, Jo-se-phine Ba-ker, Grace Al-mighty Jones — the old flesh over new bones, that puzzling Three-in-One. Pray for us, Miriam, pray for […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Democratic Alliance: Zillemania, yes she can
A picture of Nelson Mandela flashed up on the screen situated at the front of the Democratic Alliance’s gathering at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg and was instantly met with a roar of approval from those gathered there. In that instance I realised why I have always had the highest regard for the leaders and members of […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
ABSA: Absolute Blessing to Screw Anyone
Is it right that we all bitch so much about banks? I think one of the greatest lessons in life is gratitude. When I was in SA I ran motivational, empowerment courses for children. One lesson dealt with gratitude. All the kids were put in pairs, blindfolded, had marshmallows shoved in their delighted mouths, instructed […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A case against George W Bush for war crimes and crimes against humanity
A war criminal has been presiding over the catastrophic economic meltdown since the Great Depression. He has caused untold misery not only to his people by pursuing destructive economic policies, but to foreign nationals as well during his protracted murderous campaign. On September 20 2001, in the wake of the devastating attacks on the World […]
Posted inLifestyle
Fritzl, Baby P, Shannon Matthews, Charlotte’s two – roll call of the damned
Late one Sunday evening in 1987, while still an articled clerk, I received a call from attorney Max Mosselson, who wanted to know if I knew the whereabouts of a client I had been representing for the better part of that week. Mosselson was acting for a woman who was separated and had been trying […]
Posted inLifestyle
How much is changing … how little I want it
Gnnaarr…nggg…kapow!….fuggoff are some of the typical sounds associated with this Irish South African as he clambers on or off the subway trains in Shanghai. The Chinese don’t queue, they just blithely surge on and off at the same time, pushing and shoving to get a seat. Hoooaaahhh…there is something surreal about the serenity with which […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Examining Zuma’s grand plan of tackling the problem of unemployment
I have been most curious to find out how the Zuma government intend tackling the problem of unemployment, given its populist rhetoric and what we know to be empty promises to the poor. Jacob Zuma has come out to outline exactly how his government intends dealing with the scourge of unemployment. A problem we all […]