There’s an aspect of medicine called family medicine. It’s the part medical students love to hate. It’s the touchy feely bit where we care (or at least pretend to) about the things that can’t really be treated with a pill. We’re concerned about the impact your job is having on your life, we wonder how […]
2009
Posted inGender violence, Lifestyle
Finding sex
There are a number of unspokens in the most silent of crimes. The one is that most rapists experience erectile dysfunction, in other words they get it up but they can’t keep it up and that is when the person raped is in most danger because they will often become angry. Ananias Mathe, who is […]
Posted inSport
If soccer were war…
Imagine if instead of winning billions of rands of prize money when you won a soccer World Cup game, you won the country you played against. If, instead of using nuclear weapons, expensive artillery and valuable human lives to wage war, each state had to fight their territorial or ideological battles through soccer. If, after […]
Posted inGeneral
African slavery past and present
The focus of this article is on contemporary slavery with some remarks about the past. I am not an expert on the subject, but one does not need to be to speak out against suffering and abuse. I believe that people ought to pay attention to and fight against modern slavery. Please do follow some […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The only ‘apie’ is Terre’Blanche
Eugene Terre’Blanche is in trouble once again. A comment he made in Pretoria over the weekend has been reported to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) which has confirmed that it is currently with their legal services department. Terre’Blanche, leader of the fringe Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), allegedly pointed at the statue of Chief Tshwane […]
Posted inBusiness
Control greed by all means but don’t strangle it
In the wake of the biggest financial apocalypse of our times, the media has loudly voiced concerns about corporate behaviour. Despite widespread condemnation, corporate incentives and bonuses are already returning with a vengeance now that there are strong signs of a recovery. Should they be rewarded already? And as generously as the media would have […]
Posted inLifestyle
Let’s Perth(fontein) again like we did last summer
For my sins I have a sister who lives in Perth(fontein), Australia and family tradition dictates that Christmas every year is spent in Perth(fontein). So yes, you guessed it, I will soon be packing my bag and heading off down under for yet another Christmas in a country that has long since forgotten how to […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Pralka Party
“Well, I’m from Mars,” the professor says, “It’s not too far from Venus, you know”. His Gandalf-like appearance certainly endeared him to me before, but as he speaks he starts to look more Lord of Ward C than Lord of the Ring. And Mars is light years from Venus! Is he insane AND astronomically misguided? […]
Posted inGeneral
Gold teeth and yellow walls
A friend of mine (who is getting increasingly cantankerous with his advancing age) recently managed to turn a beer-nursing afternoon, while watching nubile young ones go by, turn into a dark day of discontent. The cause of all this? A wall painted in a colour he deemed unpleasant. True story. I must also add that […]
Posted inGeneral
Tiger’s wood and the mystery of men
Why is it that a man is never able to see how good he has got it? Why are we so willing to gamble a life’s happiness for a moment of cheap satisfaction? Tiger had a great wife. Beautiful, smart, university educated, worldly and by all accounts a nice person. Plus she has given him […]
Posted inLifestyle
Emigration and being in limbo
Being an emigrant means always being in a state of limbo. When you’re planning to emigrate, you’re not really here. You put off purchasing a house; the car you buy must be something you can get rid of quickly. Everything is a matter of “when the visa comes through” or “when we move to xyz”. […]
Posted inGeneral
As much as I respect Zulu culture, ukweshwama can never be condoned
One of the sources of great pride to most South Africans is the presence among us of the Zulu nation. At once loyal and courageous this band of brothers took on the might of the British Empire during the 19th century with primitive weaponry and never gave ground. As such their prowess as a great […]