It is a glorious summer morning in Istanbul; colours of the sky resemble a messy oil painting; both resplendent and melancholic in one go. After roaming around the ancient Roman road in Sultanahmet, Divanyalo Caddessi, searching for a cheap but tasty joint to have breakfast, I find myself standing outside a quaint pastry and fresh […]
2009
Posted inNews/Politics
We need more leaders like Asmal
South Africans from across the political divide who are serious about building a democracy where a free exchange of ideas is tolerated and rights of people respected must cringe and be disgusted by Fikile Mbalula’s tirade against Kader Asmal in recent weeks. To define this conduct as hate speech is an understatement. I hold no […]
Posted inLifestyle
How do people come up with this stuff?!
You know how it happens. You sign onto Twitter. You start tweeting. Mohamed, your IT director, makes a recommendation, and you find yourself following TinkabelleTease, who offers such gems as: “Had to hot foot it back to Mayfair to give a newly divorced fella a porn star experience which was a great laugh, and then […]
Posted inLifestyle
Ethical farming, part two
I decided to write a follow-up piece to my last blog about the meat industry. I wish to clarify a few points and add to the debate some more information that is often unclear or misused. I do make a clear distinction between different types of farms and different farming practices. There are too many […]
Posted inGeneral
South Africa, the fatherless country
Have you noticed that South Africa is father-free? Every time you hear a devastating news story about children who have died in a car accident/shack fire/hit and run/scary child stabbing incident the news reader feels that it is imperative to note that “the child(ren)’s mother was not there at the time of the (insert horror […]
Posted inGeneral
Will the castle crumble when the guard changes?
I had a feeling that the “Springboks” were going to lose to the Leicester Tigers on Friday night. The fixture reminded me of the torrid time the Irish club side Connacht gave the Boks in the lead up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Match feedback from that game recorded that the Springboks “played with […]
Posted inGeneral
Reitz Four debate should move beyond race
By Rachel Nyaradzo Adams I have grappled with the Reitz Four saga for some time now. When I first watched the video, I was in the process of completing research for my master’s dissertation which explored the difficulties of “deracialising” South African universities. Using my alma mater, the University of Cape Town, as a case […]
Posted inNews/Politics
If Makwana is chairman, does that make Maroga damaging director?
The Star newspaper reported on Monday that President Jacob Zuma had met with Bobby Godsell on Sunday afternoon, in an apparent departure from his stance not to interfere in state enterprises. Zuma would have shown a lack of confidence in Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan’s ability to handle Eskom’s management crisis, and that he had […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zim: Blood diamonds and spineless Morgan
Last week it was announced that Mugabe’s Kimberley Process cronies have decided to give him until June to withdraw the soldiers in the Marange diamond fields. The army runs smuggling operations and use forced labour in mines whose profits benefit Zanu-PF. Human Rights Watch exposed the horrors of Marange in June. A task team from […]
Posted inGeneral
When in doubt, go against Man United!
It is funny how where you are affects the way you see things. Like my viewing of the Chelsea-Manchester United clash on Sunday, for instance. Instead of the normal, lofty armchair, I found myself in the altogether more dodgy surrounds of a dingy Durban pub. Complete with its own sulky bar lady, intimidating owner and […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Ignoring the math: Political folly from the US to SA
Whether in Kabul, London, Washington or Pretoria global leaders appear to believe that big mouth is more important than sound math. In South Africa only a small percentage of the populace pay tax, electricity bills or television licences, they are also the best educated and most productive part of the population and those most likely […]
Posted inGeneral
So what are your childhood pet animal stories?
“So,” I chooned told ou Phil, “you should have seen my mutt Bruce. He was a Labrador and he couldn’t stop eating. My mother believed he must still be hungry if he was happy to have more. My old lady and blurry Bruce were a scary combination. She would just keep piling up his dog […]