One of the themes I’d like to explore down the line in this blog is the power of popular culture to define generations and transcend boundaries, national and otherwise. Ask anyone who grew up in South Africa during the 1980s about their favourite TV shows and you will get a list encompassing everything from Maya […]
2008
Posted inGeneral
The pitfalls of hero worshipping and exaggerating the importance of others
There is certainty of presence of some human flaws among all of us, one of which is the general weakness to elevate certain individuals to pedestals and exaggerate their importance in the grand scheme of things. This occurs due to variety of reasons; one being that the individual holds a particular position of importance in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Tsvangirai behaving like a prima donna once again
The presidential elections of 29 March 2008 in Zimbabwe did not produce an outright winner; and the electoral law required that a run-off election be held, which Tsvangirai decided to boycott. It requires no rocket scientist that given the election results of 29 March, Tsvangirai has no right to demand full executive powers as widely […]
Posted inLifestyle
A warm welcome back to the Silwane Files
The avalanche of correspondence from disgruntled Silwane Files regulars wanting a word or eighteen hundred from the quintessential beer chucker and spear chugger has been a bit overwhelming. It was the type of experience that self-important, delusional megalomaniacs are made of. And it didn’t really matter what type of e-mail, telefax or letter I received, […]
Posted inGeneral
Blood and water, trees and forests
I’ve promised myself never to go on too much about social apps, but there is one app that I’ve fallen in love with, and I’d love to share it. I signed up to Geni purely by chance — I think it was to check out the flash tree visualisation — and my affinity to the […]
Posted inGeneral
Bolt? We have plenty of our own …
I have watched as the world marvelled at Usain Bolt’s insane performances in Beijing. And it occurred to me: we have plenty of our own Bolt-like brothers. With planning, we could be the toast of London 2012. How? If you have ever seen a mugging in town, you know how fast our criminals can run. […]
Posted inBusiness, Equality, Lifestyle
I’ve had it with the men in this country
I’ve had it with the men in this country and their Neanderthal views toward women — whether in relationships, from the judiciary or Parliament — the workplace or motherhood. Women constitute more than half the workforce in this country and overwhelmingly carry the burden of child rearing. There are more single mothers than women in […]
Posted inSport
Sporting success won’t fill existential void
The impending World Cup fever brings to mind some of my former triumphs on the soccer field. It was November 2004 and we were in the last minute of a hard-fought match. I received a pass and started a wide, outflanking run, neatly bypassing the cover defence before whipping the ball, left-footed, into the back […]
Posted inGeneral
SA Rugby: Time stands still
The power play — Alex Perry, Stellenbosch, publish on Time.com on June 18 2008 Rugby is not a gentle game. But when the South African team walked onto Newlands rugby ground in Cape Town to face the British and Irish Lions on Sept. 12, 1903, expectations were of an especially violent match. It was just […]
Posted inGeneral
The state of traffic law enforcement
Are we ever going to reach a point where the authorities implement sensible and proactive road traffic measures to prevent carnage on our roads? Since 1997, the Department of Transport has launched a series of Arrive Alive campaigns, aimed particularly at reducing carnage on the roads. The success of these campaigns is debatable. There isn’t […]
Posted inGeneral
Bafana’s magic, Australia’s poison
It would not be unfair to say that a boxing match between Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki would have been far more exciting than watching Bafana Bafana against Australia. While both politicians cannot be said to be world-class boxers, the anticipation that the village lad might just pull his trademark Polokwane knockout punch is much […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
Challenges to the SADC free trade area
Following the Maseru trade protocol in 1996, the SADC trade protocol was implemented in 2000 with the aim of creating a free trade area in 2008. SADC managed to achieve this important milestone for the region by launching, at its summit held recently in Sandton, Johannesburg, the SADC free trade area (SADC FTA). President Thabo […]