I thought that you lot might find it interesting to compare the results of the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance in the 2009 election with those that they achieved in 2004. I have also thrown in the numbers for the 1999 ballot for the statistically insane. This relates to the national assembly only. Overall, […]
2009
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
‘I dreamed a dream in time gone by …’
Predictably, there have been few real surprises emerging from last week’s election. What has surprised many though has been the timbre of international reactions. Ranging from rank indifference to stereotypically ignorant responses to the blase business-as-usual expectations about the Dark Continent, reactions in the major media worldwide have reflected poorly on how the rest of […]
Posted inGeneral
Swine flu a public health event of international concern
Ask any school child older than 13 years of age to tell you something about World War I, the war to end all wars, and the chances are that they will at least have some sort of vague understanding of what transpired between 1914 to 1918 on the killing fields of Europe. After all, what […]
Posted inGeneral
The search for Southern Africa flava
Okay, I am biased. It is my writing. I am in good company: JK Rowling was turned down six times before her first Harry Potter was published. My memoir, Cracking China, has been turned down about eight times now by various SA publishers and agencies. Interestingly enough, they mostly praised the manuscript and say they […]
Posted inMedia
Ooops … Weekender makes wrong results call
Possibly the most famous newspaper headline blunder was made by the Chicago Tribune of November 3 1948, which bannered “Dewey Defeats Truman”. When the decision to print the paper was made, returns from the US election were coming in very slowly and time was running out before the deadline for the edition. The Tribune staff, […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Nando’s gives politicians the bird
With a creative team that has us eagerly anticipating their next take on the idiosyncrasies of South African life, Nando’s might now be in a position to formally enter the political arena in the form of menus that reflect the issues that concern us all. So where Zapiro might be highlighting problems through his drawings […]
Posted inMedia
Want some weekend distraction?
To celebrate our latest long weekend, a pair of my favourite websites: * 1000 Tiny Things I Hate I’ve written about this blog before, but it just keeps getting funnier and funnier! British comedian Jon Brown details all the many things that irritate him, like today’s post: #0156. HIGHLY SPECIFIC INTERNET POLLS, AND THEIR LARGELY […]
Posted inGeneral
SA clears another significant hurdle
Take a bow South Africa. Four free and fair democratic elections on the trot and the country has cleared another significant hurdle en route to hosting the 2010 World Cup. The gruelling election campaign which was frequently marred by political instability over the Jacob Zuma corruption trial has clearly impacted on the psyche of the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
ANC two-thirds is not the key issue
With about 70% of the vote counted and the ANC headed for another landslide victory the vast majority of South Africans have confirmed that regardless of the views of those who oppose the presidency of Jacob Zuma he is undoubtedly the people’s overwhelming choice. Love him – which clearly most of the country does – […]
Posted inGeneral
Why I miss South Africa
As I watch the electoral process unfold in SA from China I feel proud of my country. My heart jolted as I wrote the words, “my country”. The elections are being done peacefully, democratically. My heart was warmed by the sight in the Mail & Guardian of a picture of an IEC official helping a […]
Posted inGeneral
How did the Congress of the People lose its way?
This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: How did the Congress of the People lose its way?
Posted inNews/Politics
Malema promises a toy-toy with every Nando’s full chicken peri-peri
Apparently ANC youth league president Julius Malema wasn’t too upset about the Nando’s advert which portrays him as a puppet explaining how every time you purchase at Nando’s you get a whole bunch of change. Indeed, so the ad goes, the more money you hand over the more “change” you get. A pun on political […]