“Ooh look, snake!” said my aunt. Philimon stopped the game viewing vehicle and reversed. We aimed the spotlight and stared. There it was, orange with black stripes, undulating across the sand like an exotic bracelet unhooked and stretched out. It was very pretty, as snakes go. When it sensed the light, it coiled up, positioning […]
2010
Posted inLifestyle
Our ever-inventive criminals
There’s a new modus operandi in Hoedspruit this holiday season. Criminals are waiting for people to go out on game drives, then raiding their lodges. People generally don’t lock their doors, and even if they do it’s easy pickings, especially if you know they’re likely to be gone for two hours minimum to look up […]
Posted inGeneral
Happy New Year South Africa
I found myself writing a very serious and cliché ridden New year’s message. Yammering on about crime, violence, optimism, the World Cup, etc. Instead I will cut myself short and say just this — have fun, work hard, do unto others. Most importantly be an active, vigilant citizen. The politicians will not sort this country […]
Posted inGeneral
AfriForum’s call could have worrying consequences
Conservative rights group AfriForum has made a call for parents to insist on mother tongue instruction from their children’s schools. On the face of it, this is a good thing. It is good for children to be taught in a language they are comfortable in It may even, as Afriforum claims, help children perform better, […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Africans are humans too
We are not all humans, Africans are! Thought Leader has, among many other brilliant things, provided us with a new brand of virtual stand-up comedy. The claims, rants and musings of many here are often laughable or hilarious. It has also generated a new brand of pseudo-intellectuals who by virtue of contributing here dare to […]
Posted inGeneral
A the day at the Ashes, MCG style
It was with great trepidation that I stepped upon the metro train at Malvern Station, destined for my first ever day of Ashes cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, known to us as the MCG, or to the locals as simply “the G”. I had been there once before for a big AFL game, but […]
Posted inGeneral
We are not all Africans, black people are!
Henry Ford once said, “You can have any colour as long as it is black”. Similarly, native inhabitants of Africa say, “You can be an African in any colour as long as he is black.” There has been a sudden demand for an African to come in a variety of colours. During days of slavery […]
Posted inNews/Politics
2010: The year of the mighty idea
Most philosophy graduates can probably attest to the fact that the most common response to their chosen area of study is: “Philosophy? Whatever do you plan to do with that?” It is a reaction I have often encountered, and in moments of self-doubt (usually prompted by moments of financial uncertainty) have even directed such incredulity […]
Posted inGeneral
Think before you snoop
While hacking into your wife’s email account might be thoroughly enjoyable it can also be confining … such as at President Jacob Zuma’s finest correctional facility. Yes, I know there are things that you absolutely must check, eg. is she bonking around? But that doesn’t alter the fact that it could land you in jail. […]
Posted inLifestyle
Respect the mud
I don’t have enough respect for mud. This thought occurred to me late on Christmas Day as I felt the Freelander slipping down the slope, its backside fishtailing out until all four wheels came to a rest of a bank of sodden grass. “Oh”, I said. “I wasn’t expecting that.” Behind us, tyre tracks were […]
Posted inGeneral
What the WikiLeaks affair tells us about communication
The world recently became even more complex. In days gone by, personal disgruntlement and consequent “disloyalty” on the part of diplomatic staff in possession of “sensitive” material (and therefore capable of, if not likely, to divulge this to adversaries), sometimes threatened relations between countries — that much has not changed. What has changed, however — […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Where cultivation meets conflict
Part I: Farming in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region Producing enough food to satisfy domestic markets is a challenge that countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa face. But for places in Africa where conflict and war prevail, the threat of hunger and malnutrition is particularly acute. For many, the biggest obstacle is accessibility, as internal conflict often limits […]