Vincent Tabak, the Dutch national who murdered Joanna Yeates, apparently used Google to research the definitions of “murder”, “manslaughter” and “sexual assault” in the days and weeks after committing the egregious crime. Tabak, no doubt, was trying to assess his prospects in employing a defence which, if he was caught, would allow him to admit […]
2011
Posted inGeneral
Currie Cup Champions 2011
Having just seen the conclusion of the Currie Cup final of 2011, I have to say categorically that I am very happy. I agree with many pundits in that I like to see the top-ranked team win the Currie Cup and at times I am quite sorry that they need to partake in this play […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The political mills grind exceedingly small
The contrast could not be starker. While the African National Congress ponders putting their Young Turk up for adoption or yet again smacking his wrist and banishing him to the naughty corner, the opposition has elected theirs as parliamentary leader. The Democratic Alliance’s Lindiwe Mazibuko this week easily ousted her pale male predecessor, Athol Trollip, […]
Posted inBusiness, General, Lifestyle, Media
Julius toppled by vaginas…and T-shirts?
Julius Malema has been toppled by vaginas and sexist T-shirts. Who would have thought that the posts that attract the most reads should be about plastic surgery for fannies (over 5 000, a record for me) and T-shirts bearing legends like “You looked better … from behind”. Admittedly, a lot of the comments would indicate that […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Power, Malema and the ANC
Could Foucault’s notion of discourse give one a purchase on South African politics? Indeed, it can, specifically by clarifying the relationship between ANCYL leader Julius Malema and the parent body of the ANC. For Foucault, after the student protests of 1968 one could no longer really believe in the kind of (Althusserian) structuralist Marxist science […]
Posted inGeneral
RWC: The champions are champions
The All Blacks are world champions and deservedly so. But I have to admit I got very excited when Le Bleus (wearing white, how were the jerseys this WC? England: looking like All Blacks, playing like England!) started working them over in the second half. Once again, in spite of consistent world domination during the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The sperm collectors: Men in Zim are afraid, very afraid
By Jane Madembo A few months ago, in an article published in The Guardian, I wrote about my experiences using public transport in Zimbabwe. Specifically I talked about how women were victims of sexual harassment and rape by male motorists in Zimbabwe. But a few days ago I woke up to the shocking news that […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Mazibuko election a victory for SA
There has been a good deal of talk on the significance of Lindiwe Mazibuko’s election to the top job in parliamentary opposition. Much of the celebration concerns what the event signals for the future; the potential for the Democratic Alliance (DA) to attract young black voters. In fact, in the minds of many, it is […]
Posted inGeneral
Currie Cup final — good luck to both teams!
When the first overseas team to tour South Africa in 1891 arrived they carried with them a particularly precious bit of cargo. They had a golden cup given to the British Isles squad by Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, the shipping company that transported them to the southern tip of Africa. The gold […]
Posted inLifestyle
‘Come Dine With Me’ like Lamb(s) to the slaughter
Come Dine With Me South Africa on the BBC Entertainment network, part of the DStv package, is undoubtedly the funniest show on television and this is down to the fact that its narrator, David Lamb from Sussex in England, delivers razor sharp commentary on everything and anything the contestants get up to. The 42-year-old Englishman, […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, General, News/Politics
Imagine your electricity bill went up 459%
You’ll often hear that renewable energy is a nice idea, but it’s simply too expensive to be a realistic option. The choice between burning coal and switching to renewable energy is said to be a simple cost calculation — one that coal wins every time. It’s the rationale for why Eskom is going ahead with […]
Posted inGeneral
Two Tests doth not a series make
Australia’s current tour of South Africa has produced some enthralling cricket, with the contest being feisty. Graeme Smith scored a much needed 50 in Port Elizabeth while Jacques Kallis also returned to form with a classy knock, reminding us of his enormous value to the Proteas. Morne Morkel is starting to reach the heights his […]