I’ve lived in Africa my whole life and I’m acutely aware of the danger that a person’s sexuality can hold for their personal liberty and sometimes even their lives. This continent has an intolerance that eclipses anything seen in the rest of the world and when it comes to the gay and lesbian community, it […]
2009
Posted inGeneral
In celebration of a film genius: Kieslowski
Cinema being one of my passions, I think it is about time to remind myself and receptive readers of the manner in which the Polish-French director, Krzysztof Kieslowski — who died some years ago — has enriched the lives of cinema lovers everywhere through his work. Some people may wonder how film, which is mostly […]
Posted inNews/Politics
In defence of questioning minds
By T Osiame Molefe Okay, so I’m going to get skieted, skopped and donnered for this one but it’s okay. In the past 4 hours, I’ve seen three ThoughtLeader blogs go up lambasting Gareth Cliff for his Manto comments. I won’t repeat, if you haven’t heard/read them by now…look a space ship! For the rest […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Young bums in search of some butter
The silly season would be incomplete without clowns. Fortunately, with Julius Malema now a permanent centre-stage feature of South African political life, there is always some buffoonish behaviour to snigger at. But no matter how unintentionally hilarious the president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) seems to be, Malema is actually no laughing […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The Invictus Madiba magic
Once in a while, we have a movie that pulls at the heart strings as it attempts to re-establish friendship between African people and those of European descent. On the Day of Reconciliation I went to watch Invictus by Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman. The movie is about how former President Nelson Mandela bent backwards […]
Posted inLifestyle
The (sur)name change debate
Why do people get so worked up when women get married and the issue of surname change arises? Over the past few weeks several people that I know or know of through friends have decided to get married. In all cases the issue of whether the wife-to-be should take on the husband-to-be’s surname came up. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Cliff: hate speech, not free speech
Mantombazana ‘Manto’ Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang was a South African politician who will, no doubt, be remembered for her controversial policies on HIV-Aids while Minister of Health under President Thabo Mbeki. Unquestionably she drew fire from many quarters with some even calling for her to be held accountable for the deaths that resulted from those policies. She […]
Posted inGeneral
The decade was great
This past decade has been one of the most exciting in soccer but it also had some sad moments. Controversy also wasn’t far off, I will try to cover as much for what happened this past decade. The decade was kicked off and closed by Real Madrid and their Galactico era when they smashed the […]
Posted inGeneral
Half term report for the Premier Soccer League
The half term report looks at my prediction at the beginning of the season and then compares to their current position and where I think they could end up come end of season. The half term report card contains the unwanted tag, “could do better” for some teams and who is top of the class. […]
Posted inGeneral
2009 the turning point for South Africa
2009 will be remembered as the year that South Africa staked its claim to hosting a successful 2010 World Cup. Certainly, the past 12 months have marked an extraordinary turnaround in the preparations for this mega sporting event. Just a year ago, the hosts of the tournament were reeling after a series of near catastrophic […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zuma is nobody’s puppet
As South Africans approached their elections earlier this year, many were apprehensive about the favours that were owed by the then presumptive President Jacob Zuma to the left wing of the ANC, Cosatu, the SA Communist party and the ANC Youth League. Indeed analysts and political observers expressed concerns that the President would land up […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Our much-loved Malema Dilemma
Are the fortunes of South Africa’s political enfant terrible – African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema – falling? Hasn’t he been recently called a ‘drama queen’, a ‘sound bite politician’ and a ‘joke’? Was he was not effectively booed out of a political conference, by his own South African Communist Party (SACP) […]