By Richard Kaplan As the old year ended, Schabir Shaik was again spotted shopping in one of death row’s supermarkets. In the new year, he will presumably continue with this terminal preoccupation until he is struck down by a sudden surge of blood pressure. And while his good friend Jacob Zuma has ascended to high […]
2010
Posted inEquality, Gender violence
Legalise prostitution now!
Sexual favours for a price. On the side of the road. Down an alley. In your car. In your hotel room. In your house. On the corner. Wherever it is, it’s likely to be unsafe for the sex worker. Why? You might refuse to use condoms and risk exposing him or her to sexually transmitted […]
Posted inGeneral
Archaeological find dates Jewish Bible back hundreds of years
In what may prove to be a groundbreaking discovery, Professor Gershon Galil of the department of biblical studies at the University of Haifa, has managed to decipher an inscription on a pottery shard which dates back to the 10th century BCE. The archaeological find was made in the Elah valley where David famously slew the […]
Posted inMedia
How do they cope without ‘takkies’ and ‘kak’?
“The Guardian reported that J & Mrs Z ‘had matching white trainers’,” observed Gus Silber, reflecting on the Jacob Zuma marriage saga, “which confused me until I realised they meant shoes”. Happening across this comment on Twitter, I realised that there are people in the world who do not have access to a word like […]
Posted inGeneral
2010: The year of Ubuntelligence
Anyone can come up with a new word, a new term or new concept, right? Here’s one for you for today: Ubuntelligence©. This is 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 and without due regard […]
Posted inGeneral
The rugby hurricane prepares to hit our shores…again
Can you feel it? I don’t know about you but I can. I can sense it in my bones and in the air. Cricket season is in full swing, a time of joy, sunshine and this season, squishing English ambitions. However, like the days following a trance party, in the silence that is all you […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Our president is addicted to marriage
The leader of the Christian Democratic Party, Reverend Theunis Botha, described President Jacob Zuma’s traditional wedding as a “giant step back into the dark ages”. I’m sorry Rev, I know I’m meant to revere you but the only thing from the dark ages in this case are your views on this matter (ducks lightning bolt). […]
Posted inGeneral
Male-on-male rape in prisons and police cells
Once again we are waking up to find that a man has been raped while being held in police custody. Worse he was in the holding cells at Graaff-Reinet police station rather than the local prison where it is not as easy to keep prisoners under scrutiny all the time. According to Inspector Mornay Van […]
Posted inLifestyle
Do you have a favourite toilet?
The number of page hits that certain blog posts get on this website would suggest that Thought Leader readers like to read about the government, politics and how everything is going wrong, wrong, wrong with the ANC. You, the reader, want to discuss Zuma, Malema and those okes. Well, terribly sorry to disappoint. This isn’t […]
Posted inGeneral
How do you cope with suddenly being jobless?
“Dear Rod, This week will be the last week for your lessons. So you need to give all the students scores for this term. Thank you for what you have done for our school. Joy.” I received the above email at 11am on Monday 4 January and my last day of employment and earnings is […]
Posted inLifestyle
The end! Can you hear the soundtrack?
At Eyethu Cinema in the Soweto of the 70s and early 80s, film endings would be announced with the projection of the words “The End” on the screen. At that time, the film-end soundtrack would commence in full voice as we filed out of the cinema in our usual disorderly and noisy manner. It always […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The war on counterfeit drugs
By Franklin Cudjoe and Julian Harris Deadly new mutations of diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis threaten over half the world’s population, the World Health Organisation and the Gates Foundation warned recently. One major culprit is counterfeit and substandard drugs that can provoke mutations that resist real medicines. Crackdowns, however, do not address the cause. […]