Is the enlarged South African cabinet, announced by President Jacob Zuma, too big? Perhaps, but not much more than many countries. If South Africa is suffering from cabinet minister inflation, so is the rest of the world. A glance at the number of cabinet ministers in a range of countries, some in the developed world, […]
2009
Posted inGeneral
Microsoft’s new lease on life: Windows 7
While Windows 7 is constantly in the news this year, we can finally start making an educated judgement on what significance this product might have. In the last 10 years just about any Windows release was plagued by the same problems time and time again. If you want an idea of what I am talking about […]
Posted inGeneral
Would you buy my newspaper?
Apparently newspapers used to report the news. I can’t say for sure because that was before my time. Those were the days. It has been my observation that reporting the news in newspapers has become old-fashioned. Let’s call the current approach in the mainstream print media the Bugger-Facts-Opinion-Rules (BFOR) model. So, for instance, if Tito […]
Posted inMedia
Introducing the Richmark Sentinel
Wavelength 49 (Pty) Limited would like to introduce you to our new website the Richmark Sentinel. The site, which will comprise news, lifestyle and sport, is designed to provide a venue for all South Africans and Africans to meet, gather, debate and swap ideas and information while highlighting the fact that we are PROUDLY SOUTH […]
Posted inGeneral
Swine flu and Chinese generosity
My oral Mandarin is at the lower intermediate level. In my school office which I share with eight Chinese ladies, mostly English teachers, I often hear them talking about me, the only foreigner (not untypical) at their school. This is even though I introduced myself in Chinese when I first started at this school on […]
Posted inNews/Politics
From supporter-voters to member-activists
It has always been the objective of the political class to seek the support of persons other than themselves and their employees in order to reinforce legitimacy and public acceptance which should, ideally, subsist to enable the political class to exercise the privilege of representing the people and citizenry of the state as governed. The […]
Posted inGeneral
Clever search goes live
It has been tantalising the internet audience for a while now: the intimation of a clever search that understands humans and gives results that are not just more or less relevant, but actually represent a correct answer to a search query. In May 2009 a new “knowledge engine” goes live. Named Wolfram Alpha, it claims […]
Posted inGeneral
O-zuma-ndias? I don’t think so
by Suntosh Pillay Half-sunk, shattered and forgotten, but the inscription remained, mortal words of an evaporated legacy: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” This, said a traveller from an antique land, was once a vast statue of a mighty ruler. Ozymandias, the sonnet by Percy Shelley, […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Nyanda as communications minister? Is this some kind of joke?
Some journalists believe that President Jacob Zuma’s inauguration speech signalled a thaw in his relationship with the media. But actions speak louder than words: look who he appointed as his communications minister. Of all the surprising cabinet appointments — and there are many — that of former defence force chief Siphiwe Nyanda as minister of […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Finding our inner Jonathan Moyo
One of the big mysteries of Zimbabwean politics is the metamorphosis of Prof Jonathan Moyo. A former critic of Robert Mugabe and his party, Moyo suddenly switched allegiances and helped keep Mugabe and Zanu-PF in power. Although there has been plenty of speculation on the subject, why Moyo made the switch is still not known […]
Posted inNews/Politics
President Zuma lives in the heart of the common people
Jacob Zuma’s inauguration at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, was characterised by early rains hastily retreating and giving way to clear blue skies and a heart-warming speech from the new president. If ever there was a sign from above that the dark clouds, which have dogged the ANC president, might now be replaced […]
Posted inMedia
South Africans must speak out
On Freedom Day, to celebrate fifteen years of democracy, I launched The Soapbox — a nonpartisan online platform where young South Africans can speak out about things they feel strongly about. Why? Because South Africa is at a crossroads. Now more than ever is it important to use our freedom to ensure that democracy prevails […]