Do you want to hear something funny? The big news to have hit rugby over the past few weeks hasn’t been Peter de Villiers-motivated, or related to anything on the field. No, this honour belongs to Maria Ramos and Absa. Ever since they sent that fabled SMS to Oregan Hoskins, they have been receiving a […]
2010
Posted inNews/Politics
Shameless
Mr Blade Nzimande, have you no shame? I ask this question having just read what the South African Communist Party general secretary was giving as justification for the “proposed” media tribunal. Could it be that Blade sees the “danger” of the media because of the double-speak and luxurious living at the expense of the taxpayer […]
Posted inLifestyle
Hosting aliens
By Hansie Smit What a relief it was to see the UN appointed an official ambassador to take that first call from outer space. Mazlan Othman, a Malaysian astrophysicist, promised to keep her cell phone on 24/7 to make sure we don’t miss the opportunity to host an interstellar kuier. OK, so let’s assume the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The blunt truth about new circumcision device
By Ilham Rawoot Circumcision is a touchy business. And writing about it has proven to be even touchier, especially when nobody wants to talk about it. When the KwaZulu-Natal health department decided to go ahead with using the TaraKLamp (a device that strikes me as the penile equivalent of a nail clipper) to circumcise men […]
Posted inLifestyle
New Earth? We’d just end up polluting it
The discovery of a Goldilocks planet known as Gliese 581g, a mere 20 light years from Earth, has occasioned much excitement among scientists. The planet, which is found in the Libra constellation orbits a low-energy dwarf star called Gliese 581 and is called a Goldilocks planet because it is roughly the size of Earth and […]
Posted inGeneral
In a world of rape and tweets, what’s happened to handwritten love letters?
There’s something heartwarming about the thing made over time with tenderness and given to a loved one. Hallmark cards have nothing on a child’s personal creation made with bright crayons for his mom. Nor do tweets and SMSs, filled with “mwah” and gratuitous images of flowers. Imagine coming home with a crown of flowers for […]
Posted inLifestyle
The comfort of things
I have a lot of stuff in my office. Even by the standards of the creatives in the cubicles up the way, there’s an inordinate amount of clutter and colour jostling for the attention of anybody who happens to pass by on the way to collect their printouts or send a fax. There are books, […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Why press self-regulation trumps ‘independent regulation’
“Independent” regulation is being sold as a compromise – it’s painted as being a “third way” and a palatable position that avoids pitfalls of either industry or political regulation. But it’s flawed.
Posted inNews/Politics
The Zulu factor in the ANC power equation
A crucial element in the second-term conundrum is the growing importance of Zulu ethnicity.
Posted inGeneral
Waiting for the rains
By Isobel Frye Johannesburg is dry and parched, the red earth waits for rejuvenation and our memories turn to the brilliance of purple jacaranda flowers to lift our souls and fill us with wonder and quiet moments of joy. In the meantime, we continue to plod on in our daily lives. We open our papers […]
Posted inGeneral
What if Saru had fired De Villiers?
By Langa Sigodi From the moment that Pieter de Villiers was announced as Springbok coach in 2008, it was evident that win or lose, his tenure would be remembered for one thing, his race. After a dismal Tri-Nations, the calls have been loud for him to get the axe. After his performance review, he has […]
Posted inLifestyle
Happy Pride my fellow lesbians
By Mbali Toyana The Oxford dictionary defines penchant (n) as a strong inclination, taste or liking for something. My “something” happens to be women. I adore women. Passionately and indiscriminately. I love different sorts of women and I love different things about them. I love powerful women. I love sensitive women. I love them young […]