2009

On Saturday a brawl involving about 100 students from two top rugby schools in New Zealand broke in front of the national rugby coach, Graham Henry. The fight, between players and supporters, lasted five minutes and led to at least one schoolboy being knocked out. The fight, trumpeted in the NZ Herald with the headline […]

In my previous post, I wrote about the rather paradoxical nature of autonomy — that “complete” autonomy is impossible, given everything around one that one unavoidably depends on, or has to take as a basis for exercising one’s “autonomy” — language, for example, as well as other conventions so that, in the end, the best […]

We have to admit that Bolt is fast. I promise not to be lead into the temptation of cheap puns regarding his name, even expensive ones for that matter. He broke the world record. Again. His own. I couldn’t help wondering. I lie. I didn’t wonder because I am too lazy to, I am sure […]

The recent appointment of Bheki Cele as police commissioner has once again brought the persistently high levels of crime to the fore. Despite some substantial improvements, SAPS are struggling to get a handle on the crime situation. As has become par for the course, Cele has publicly adopted an aggressive approach to crime including his […]

Last weekend I made my customary annual road trip up north to Zambia through Zimbabwe. Starting off at the crack of dawn, it was a glorious drive on the N1 during that time of early morning when the breaking light of a new day slowly takes over a landscape wrapped in the fading darkness. With […]

I’ve just read Alan Boesak’s recently published “reflections” on the anti-apartheid struggle and the challenges that continue to confront us as a society. While he reflects some interesting perspectives on the nature of the struggle, the resolution of the political conflict and the character of post-apartheid South Africa, it seems to me that the esteemed […]

Once upon a time there was an African country that after several years of instability seemed to be moving shakily towards reform and democracy. Its ageing despotic president had signed a power-sharing deal with the opposition that created a unity government that would precipitate a new constitution and elections. Sounds rather like Zimbabwe, doesn’t it? […]

In the current atmosphere of heightened demand for service delivery and leadership accountability, we desperately need leaders with serious ubuntu credentials to lead us out of service delivery protests and regular strikes. This can only be effectively done by visible delivery on promises made and meeting expectations. But many of us cannot tell the difference […]