Speculation has reached runaway-fire proportions that Schabir Shaik and Eugene de Kock are about to walk. Shaik has applied for a presidential pardon. This has been confirmed. The state president had a meeting with incarcerated De Kock, it is alleged and it could well be true. Meanwhile, the DA has submitted to Parliament a “private […]
2010
Posted inLifestyle
That’s not a real job
A job is a job is a job is a job some might say — as long as you bring in the dollareuroyenpounds to pay the bills. Not quite. Try rent a house, open a new account or get a loan where you have to write down “musician” next to occupation. Although the look on […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Non-story of the day: Civil servant goes on approved leave
So today’s non-story? Judge Hlophe going on extended paid leave. Now Hlophe is rivalled only by JZ, Julius Malema and probably Schabir Shaik in terms of circulation-boosting value. A story about his bathroom habits would guarantee thousands of hits on your news site. But once again, I fear we are yet again, being herded, lemming […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Nasa: Going beyond the clouds
It seems not even revered aeronautical institution Nasa could escape the belt-tightening effects of the recession. Their chosen solution though was something you will not find in any scientific or engineering journals. Reports today indicate that cocaine was found in a processing hangar for the shuttle Discovery. Nasa, however, officially deny that the stash formed […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Ubuntelligence test
In case you missed it, Ubuntelligence is generally defined as the “ability and courage to seek out and connect to other, seemingly different, fellow human beings. It is about establishing meaningful connections with others, within given timelines, without due regard for individual or personal gain. It focuses on collective value in the short, medium and […]
Posted inGeneral
If Haiti were HIV
It is most certainly a humanitarian crisis. Thousands dead. An impoverished nation battling to deal with the human carnage left behind. An inadequate health system to provide the care they need. A nation shaken to its core. But here I don’t speak about Haiti. Here I speak about us. South Africa has been shaken to […]
Posted inMedia
We’re still coping
South Africans are masters of craziness and natural geniuses when it comes to insults.
Posted inNews/Politics
Angie’s shameful crocodile tears
Funny thing I must say to discover that the minister of basic education is “disappointed at the matric results”. Besides sucking up to Malema during the election campaign by publicly and irresponsibly saying that matric “is not that important” she set a bad example early last year by abandoning a crucial meeting of the council […]
Posted inGeneral
Gazing at my crystal ball
1. The Stormers will win the Super 14. That is the local pre-season tourney for the top 14 clubs in the Province/Boland area. 2. Rassie will dictate on field moves via strobe lights from the top of Table Mountain. 3. The Bulls machine will rumble on. Cheeky sub-eds everywhere will fall over themselves to write […]
Posted inGeneral
Spare a thought for Haiti
South Africa has disasters — political, ethical and economic disasters. We have a fat ruling elite which is increasingly drifting away from the needs and realities of the poor and marginalised. We have a ruling alliance which is forever quibbling about current and future spoils — a hobby in which they engage while dressed to […]
Posted inGeneral
The Amazon Kindle
Once in a while a game-changing product comes along that makes you rethink conventions that are pretty much hardwired into our routines. This is immediately apparent in the consumption of media — be it music, movies or print. With the dawn of the internet our consumption of these have been altered dramatically. Take for example […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Shaik, sabre-rattling and rolling
So it would appear, according to the media and opposition mouthpieces at least, that the president is all but set to grant Schabir Shaik a presidential pardon. At least that is what the opposition allege and the media are not too shy to fan that particular flame. And why not? Zuma and Shaik are circulation […]