“Govt was warned about power” — the lead headline on News24 trumpeted this morning. Apparently some municipal boffin warned last century that darkness was on the way and would hit by 2007. The news in that is when the warning was made. The content is nothing new. Perhaps the warning should have been expanded to […]
2008
Posted inNews/Politics
How to respond to corruption allegations
A lot of South African politicians and public officials can take a lesson from Peter Hain’s resignation today.
Posted inNews/Politics
The judge in the Zuma case will need balls made of steel
Considering that this is my first post, I would rather be writing about something else, but I feel compelled to tackle the subject at hand — even though it goes against everything I am; my natural sense of optimism. As I understand it, optimists are not oblivious to the realities of earthly existence and its […]
Posted inGeneral
Stealing chickens
Professor Steven Friedman, sir, I write in response to your blog entitled “Eskom, Zuma and some people’s nightmares“. As a white South African, I am greatly disturbed by you (a professor) casually calling disgruntled white South Africans “racists”. Please allow me a little story to illustrate part of my point: I once met a lovely […]
Posted inSport
Bafana Bafana: The return of passion and commitment
“He can put his foot on the ball.” That is high praise for a playmaker in soccer. In fact, that type of player is what we mean by a South African style: the slow build-up, flair, the devastating pass into space and, of course, the dazzling dribble. I wonder if that style of play can […]
Posted inGeneral
The Madiba magic to look a racist straight in the eye
Blacks love their white people, even if they are racist. Many of them are. We blacks have even coined a term of endearment for them: abelungu bethu, which simply means our superior white people. You see, when you are black and have the confidence and courage to look a white person in the eye, you […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Why is the ANC moving the Scorpions into the South African Police Service?
This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: Why is the ANC moving the Scorpions into the South African Police Service?
Posted inLifestyle
In honour of Heath, my favourite leading ladies
Before I launch into my list of favourite movie stars, perhaps a moment of reflection on the fact that maybe being a movie star is lonelier than being a normal person. Maybe there’s less space to fail, less space to look weak, more tendency to bottle things up until there seems to be no possible […]
Posted inLifestyle
I have come not to bury Eskom, but to praise it
From the makers of “Eskom power alerts: How can we help you“, “Eskom II : This time with solar water heaters” and “Oh Eskom! My Eskom!” comes a Malt Dizzy film, Broke Back Mounting Ladder. Barry Wrongun sent us this short review : Arnold Bagel is a typical Johannesburg northern-suburbs businessman (imports/exports … something like […]
Posted inLifestyle
Security is comfort …
I have left behind me the security found in the comfort of friendships. When I reached Khartoum International Airport earlier this week, my friends Abdalla, Asma and Huda were waiting for me. They had been there at least an hour already. I had waited for two other friends, Muddather and Imam, to pick me up […]
Posted inGeneral
Rasool’s closing-down sale?
Ever the self-righteous optimist, I was up at 6am on Boxing Day for the first of many runs along the glorious stretch of coastline that runs from Sea Point to Clifton and beyond. But I was not the only person to hit the Atlantic Seaboard early that morning. By 6.30am, when I finally got moving, […]