The Community of Mandela Rhodes Scholars (CMRS) is a rather queer and gay snapshot of a utopian society. Queer in the sense of it being “different” or “strange”, and gay because CMRS gatherings are often jubilant and joyous occasions. But beyond the archaic and now dated uses of these terms, the CMRS has proven to […]
2010
Posted inGeneral
Weaker rand won’t help
The global economy is poised for a full-blown “currency war”, where countries deliberately devalue their currencies in order to boost exports and stimulate economic growth. At the recent IMF and G7 meeting in Washington, the IMF’s call for a ceasefire between the two main combatants, the US and China, failed. IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned […]
Posted inGeneral
Cricket’s new world order
Epochs can defined by many different things: an era-changing event, a ground-breaking personality or a shift in dominance from one party to another that takes place over a gradual period of time which often crosses the finish line via what would normally be construed as a meaningless event. For the Cold War, it was the […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
The US, African Union and new scramble for Africa
The past few years have seen a dramatic uptick in American diplomatic efforts in Africa, which has coincided with a decisive shift in political rhetoric about the continent. At first glance this might seem like a positive development, reflecting a more progressive attitude toward what has long been considered an unimportant global backwater. But a […]
Posted inNews/Politics
It’s just the queerest choice
By Steven Hussey On viewing the shocking Mail & Guardian report of the unwarranted police brutality and homophobia incident that occurred in Vosloorus recently, I was disappointed by a comment that someone posted, describing homosexuality as “Western” and “un-African”. The comment went on, “it’s absolutely not genetical (sic); there’s absolutely no medical or scientific evidence […]
Posted inGeneral
Top 20 rugby quotes of the week
1. John Mitchell: “I won’t let this deter my commitment or passion for the team. But I need to make sure that I am totally secure where I live. It is not at all nice waking up and having to defend your life.” 2. Peter de Villiers: “The guys have come back refreshed and hungry […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
What some media don’t want you to think about
I recently resigned as monthly columnist at Media24’s daily newspapers after one of my columns was censored. The offence that led to the censorship? As a proponent of the position that the media’s allergic reaction to self-criticism is to its own detriment, I had dared to do exactly that: employ critical examination of the media. […]
Posted inGeneral
Africa’s already missed the boat
By Gareth Knight New international submarine communication cables are starting to ring the continent, bringing with them the promise of cheaper broadband across the continent. That means Africa will soon have the infrastructure to compete more effectively in the online space than it did in the past. But Africa has missed out on several years […]
Posted inNews/Politics
My Shangaan mirror: What I do not have and how I could get it
A while back some thoughtful pieces were posted on this site concerning xenophobia. The one that drew my attention most was Tinyiko Maluleke’s “I could die soon”. What I liked most about this article was that it historicised xenophobic sentiments instead of simply representing them as a spectacle that emerged after apartheid. I think this […]
Posted inLifestyle
Zimbabwe, my home
By Sibonginkosi Hlabangana Some months back I took a trip to my home country, Zimbabwe. I had last been there a few years prior to this visit. As we neared landing, I couldn’t help but remember watching a documentary about some country where there was war, people dying, some eating tree bark and all the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Act your digital age
People who start emails with “Good day” can knit me a cardigan. Might as well keep going and do a nice little tea cosy for your motherboard. Although a certain amount of etiquette is required when writing a business email, it’s not necessary to throw the kitchen sink at it. When I’m reading work emails […]
Posted inGeneral
A regular consumer view of the Nokia Ovi Store experience…
Nokia was kind enough to send me some rad bluetooth headphones, and more importantly, a R200 gift voucher for the Nokia Ovi Store (the artist formerly known as The Nokia Music Store). I did a quick interview with Jake Larsen when the store launched a couple of years ago, so I was keen to take […]