Recently there have been a number of discussions/debates in the media on the role of ‘intellectuals’ in relation to politics, or more specifically, politicians. One of the things that gave rise to these discussions appears to have been the information, that African-American philosopher, Cornel West, has been acting in an advisory capacity to Democratic Party […]
2008
Posted inLifestyle
Carefully explaining to the Chinese in Shanghai what it meant to grow up in the old South Africa (part two)
(Continued from previous post) “… This white child and nanny relationship added to the complexity of the racial situation I grew up in,” I said to my entirely Chinese audience at the University of Engineering and Science in Shanghai. These black nannies, or ousies, as we would also call them, were wonderful people and as […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Reasons for doing business with Hugo Chávez
South Africa has strengthened its political and economic ties with the United States (US)’s nemesis in Latin America, Venezuela, by signing bilateral trade and oil exploration agreements. The policy maintained by South Africa has always been that your enemies are not necessarily my enemies. Former President Nelson Mandela made it unequivocally clear that South Africa’s […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Reaching the summit? Aid ineffectiveness
Over the last week, all hotels in Accra have been booked out and streets closed to the chagrin of local taxi drivers, for the third time so far this year. The High Level Forum (HLF) on Aid Effectiveness – the third in its series – alongside the civil society Parallel Forum which aimed to prepare […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Big Brother Africa 3: who chose our genius?
Forget an enquiry into the Olympics, the Para-Olympics or even the arms deal, the people who need to face up to an oversight committee and then a firing squad, are the wenners who select our Big Brother Africa contestants. Wherever they found this genius should be fenced off just in case the personality disorder is […]
Posted inGeneral
Google Chrome: The good and the bad
Could the browser wars of the late 1990s web be upon us again? Then it was Netscape versus Internet Explorer, but now with the launch of Chrome it’s more than just two browsers pitted against each other. Google’s new entry in Chrome is certain to raise the temperature again. Internet Explorer has enjoyed dominance for […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A paler shade of white
I agree with John McCain that “we can’t turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness”. There. I’ve said it. Bite me. Unfortunately, however, the Republican candidate for president was talking about Russia’s exploits in Georgia and not George W Bush’s foray into Iraq. Plus ça change … It’s a Thursday night in a […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The Law of Escalation — knowing when the jig is up.
So I’m watching the news last night and I see that the case involving Pretoria High Court Judge Nkola Motata is still dragging on. What I found even more intriguing is when the newsreader mentions, in passing, that this whole mess emanates from an accident that occurred in January of last year. Okay, let me […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Cosatu’s devious incitement of anarchy and carnage
“This very weekend, I received urgent warnings that the ANC has decided to abduct two of my children and to kill them … it was a serious warning, urgently given … I don’t know the truth of it … there are certain elements in the ANC quite capable of such a thing.” Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, […]
Posted inLifestyle
Dead man walking in Shangri-la
For some time now I have been methodically cleaning up my lifestyle as my body has become less forgiving of abuse and more demanding of consideration. There were clear warning signs popping up all over the place: age-spots (free radical damage) on my forehead, bouts of sciatica, tendonitis, fibrositis and other inflammatory markers of a […]
Posted inSport
What to do with racist rugby fans?
This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: What to do with racist rugby fans?
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Are all racist scum equal?
“A R10 000 reward has been offered to anyone who identifies the racist scum who marred Saturday’s Springbok victory at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park.” It was an opening paragraph designed to attract attention and it certainly caught mine. I was appalled by the boorishness of the drunken yobs who picked on Ziningi Shibambo and told her: […]