Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting our former ambassador to Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the Vatican, Her Excellency Konji Sebati, who was due to fly out later in the afternoon to assume her position as our new French ambassador. Her Excellency is a medical doctor who grew up in Soweto and worked for the Pfizer […]
2009
Posted inNews/Politics
SA: A nation in a good state?
On Friday, President Kgalema Motlanthe walked the red carpet to open the nation’s legislature. As he shuffled past dignitaries and diplomats, one could almost hear the jingle of keys in his pocket. The president is little more than a caretaker in a blue overall we are told. He is caught between Thabo Mbeki, who left […]
Posted inGeneral
Rugby world gears up for Super 14
In a week’s time there will be much hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth looking at the Super 14 table. It’s also interesting looking at the tables from previous years only because it removes the emotiveness of evaluation. The local media have been analysing the prospects of the Super 14 team and players and how they […]
Posted inGeneral
Socialism aims to strike a balance
By Melika Singh For those unfamiliar with 21st century socialism — which is not communism or pure socialism — below is an explanation of this concept and its importance to the developing world. Heinz Dieterich said 21st century socialism encompasses participative democracy (yes, socialism supports democracy and doesn’t require large-scale repression to succeed), a democratically-planned […]
Posted inLifestyle
Stop crime by saying hello
In the mood for a little distraction to start off your week? Take a look at Stop Crime Say Hello — a local organisation built on the premise that if South Africans said hello to each other more and treated each other better at work and in life, the amount of violent crime would drop. […]
Posted inTech
A new way of mourning, on Facebook
Facebook has changed the nature of friendship for many South Africans; I know that without it, my own sense of isolation would be so much worse. Facebook has also changed the way we mourn. Now, when terrible things happen to people we care about, we create Facebook groups in their honour. I was reminded of […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The 2010 World Cup — nadir rather than zenith for SA
Last night was enlightening but also saddening in underscoring so many of our doubts. We had some of my son and daughter-in-law’s friends and associates over at our place in Alexandria, US. A small but varied and egalitarian group ranging in ages from 55 to 28: British, American, from New Zealand, Chinese and South African. […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
Cope should put Moeletsi Mbeki forward as presidential candidate
Over the weekend we were treated to speculation regarding the candidates which the Congress of the People (Cope) will put forward for the office of president. The Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota will not per se become the party’s nomination for the top post with his first deputy Mbhazima Shilowa and possibly even former president Thabo […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
Zuma laudable but he must step down now
Jacob Zuma’s confirmation that the ANC has leaders who can step in if he is convicted and that he won’t be using the presidency to quash the charges against him is of course commendable but doesn’t alter the fact that he should step down now. The country and the party should not be fielding a […]
Posted inLifestyle
Celebrating my wife (while shaking my head)
I’d been meaning to write this blog about my wife for quite a while, but a current piece by Sarah Britten on poisonous snakes prompted me to get on with the job. Ouch. That sounds terrible. I hasten to add that this is not because I think my wife, Marion, better known as chookie or […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
SA’s mediascape faces the challenge of getting more voices
Our eyes and ears are attentive to the mainstream media as the most influential platform in the coming elections. But it’s also important that there are also many other smaller players adding to the diversity of coverage. Some of these enterprises owe their existence to the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), which has spent […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The Zimbabwean equation
If all goes according to schedule, the Movement for Democratic Change’s (MDC-T) Morgan Tsvangirai will be sworn in as the prime minister of Zimbabwe on Wednesday February 11 2009. The unanimous passing of Constitutional Amendment 19 has paved the way for the formation of the government of national unity (GNU), and regardless of how we […]