By Roger Diamond. Let me be clear — I am not a climate change denialist. But given the chance, that we all have, of selecting something meaningful to do with our lives, to leave a positive legacy or at least to reduce the negative impacts of our consumptive lifestyle, pick something tangible and manageable. Climate […]
2009
Posted inGeneral
An open letter to the minister of basic education
First Laugh on Friday Dear Mme Angie, I noticed that you waltzed into parliament late when President Zuma visited the house last week and spoke of the challenges facing our education system. I am sure you had a good reason other than Prof Jonathan Jansen’s widely publicised remarks and totally unjustified conclusion that you are […]
Posted inGeneral
Trade unions stifling SA’s competitiveness
The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2009/2010 was released a few days ago and it reveals that South Africa has maintained its 45th spot among 133 countries assessed. It may be reason to feel rather chuffed with ourselves that despite the global economic turmoil, we have managed to retain our position among economies […]
Posted inGeneral
Online movie rentals edge closer to SA shores
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that YouTube is talking to major US film studios about offering movie rentals on the international video site. Speculation suggests they would charge about $3.99 (roughly R30 as of this writing) for on-demand movie downloads. After spending several billion dollars on YouTube (including the $1.65 billion purchase price), and differing […]
Posted inLifestyle
A Canuck Kaapie
By Adam Currie I sent my original letter to you a few months ago as a beaming with pride South African, voicing my democratic rights in Trafalgar Square … what a day, boerie, ballots and acronyms galore … My how things have changed … For one I fell for a fine Canadian lass — lets […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Keep the drunk judge
A lot of people have been calling for his honour Judge Nkola Motata to hit the road (rather than the fence this time). But I don’t agree. He has to stay. In fact we need more judges like him. No more of these hoity-toity men sitting up high in their robes, casting down their sombre […]
Posted inGeneral
Is there any justification for ministers driving top-of-the-range cars?
This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: Is there any justification for ministers driving top-of-the-range cars?
Posted inLifestyle
How much would you pay to be disrespected for an evening?
There are some serious self-abusers walking our city streets at night. I’m not referring to criminals and junkies, though granted some of the fashion choices (the scarring of my retinas is only fading now after seeing a young man wearing bottle-green skinny jeans again the other night) and the insatiable thirst for the vile agave-flavoured […]
Posted inGeneral
Argentina might just miss the World Cup plane
In exactly 273 days from now the world will be descending on South Africa for the 2010 soccer World Cup while some of the world’s best soccer talent will be feeling a little disgruntled in front of their top-of-the-range HDTV televisions where they’ll be watching it from home and harbour grievances at what could have […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Pope and Balaam’s ass
I am a Catholic, albeit a semi-practising one. Don’t make me go into the detail — let’s just say the missus is not perpetually knocked up despite our nocturnal scrums every Tuesday night. I don’t have the full complement of Catholic sacraments but I have received Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation and Marriage. They’re still hogging […]
Posted inGeneral
A sunset clause for the IFP
By Percy Mabandu The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) by dissolving would be as good for our identity discourse as its merger with the ANC is bad for South Africa’s body politic. At first breath the party and its excesses, by dissolving, will make space for more progressive thinking about other ways of being black in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Why Biko, a university drop-out, matters
It is September and the blossoming of the spring will always remind us of a flower that was killed before it could radiate beauty. You might hear about Steve Bantubonke Biko and it will make you wonder why he was killed. What a terrible waste of a young life. He was only 30 years old. […]