2009

Greatness is measured in many ways and one of the players who springs to mind is Ryan Giggs. He has never really achieved anything with Wales at international level, be it the European Championships or the World Cup. Medals, statistics and individual awards show what a great player the Welsh man has been for Manchester […]

Archbishop Emeritus Mpilo Tutu is turning 79 and still going strong. I had the privilege of working with him in many capacities in my life and have never been able to understand the deep-running humility of this prophetic man of God. In the church he did more than his share when he led the entire […]

This whole Polanski story is really getting my goat. I’m not sure exactly why the world is up in arms in defence of this man? He raped a young girl. He then fled the country to avoid arrest. And now, when he finally is arrested everyone is upset for him??? The bottom line here is […]

“Over the past 25 years, there have been a number of coconuts, non-whites and whites who have, overtly or covertly, accused authentic blacks of being racists,” says Memela in his recent “Dear coconuts, there are no black racists blog”. He does not define what an “authentic” black is. An immediate problem with the word authentic, […]

A while ago I was speaking to an African-American friend who was visiting South Africa. He told me that he found it strange that when he is in the United States, he is considered an African-American, but when he is in Africa, he is only an American. I thought about this comment last week when […]

Is ZA News much needed political satire, or more tired fuel already smouldering fires? ZA News, based on the UK’s Spitting Image from years back, is a new internet-only TV show that uses the cartoon images created by cartoonist Zapiro to inspire a bunch of beautifully built puppets of South Africa’s politicians and public figures. […]

By Sadiyya Sheik The social welfare grant has become as common as pain as far as main complaints go. Having spent the past month working at an ARV clinic, I have seen many patients, South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) forms in hand, a determined yet pained expression on their faces, clamouring for a sought-after […]

By Theo Mapheto Just why leaders in South Africa insist on communicating with their followers in a foreign language beggars belief. Take Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s address at Ntwampe in Limpopo Province on the occasion of the National Heritage Day celebrations for example. Look, Motlanthe’s first language is Sepedi and the masses who descended to […]

Around the world there is a time-honoured tradition that whenever a South African émigré is dining with foreigners, he will be called upon to regale his dinner companions with talk of his crime-ridden homeland. When the candle has burnt low and the dinner is all but eat and the soul fortified with a suitable red, […]

It’s funny what a few weeks can do to change the complexion of things. The Tri-Nations was still under way, the Sharks and Western Province looked to be favourites (touch wood there for all those wearing blue and white … it’s been a very long time) and Griquas looked to be ruining the established province’s […]