How prominently does “technology transfer” to developing nations feature in the programme of globalisation? And what impact does it have outside of the West? In the book I have been discussing (Globalization, Technology and Philosophy, edited by Tabachnick and Koivukoski) Trish Glazebrook investigates these questions in light of what she perceives as a puzzling lack […]
2011
Posted inNews/Politics
Identifying the struggle for our generation
By Nobukhosi Ngwenya I had the pleasure of being in the company of a number of the country’s unsung heroes this women’s day. The Robben Island’s Public Heritage Education department organised a woman’s day celebration with a difference. They brought together the nation’s unsung heroes of the apartheid era — women. Their contribution to the […]
Posted inGeneral
The death of opted-in communications in South Africa?
The Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Bill is at serious risk of being watered down to such an extent that it is rendered ineffective and meaningless when it comes to preventing consumers from receiving email and SMS spam. The Bill, which has been under discussion since 2009, sets out to establish the minimum requirements for […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The Fugitive
When Harrison Ford starred in The Fugitive, who would have thought subsequent adaptations of that motion picture would feature the likes of Sadaam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden and now, the brother leader himself, Muammar Gadaffi? With each sequel, the plot thickens. On closer reflection however, it would appear that the ever elusive fugitive is not […]
Posted inGeneral
Ten must-haves to win a Rugby World Cup
And now, from Auckland New Zealand — head quarters of the Rugby World Cup due to start on September 9 and end on the October 23 — here are the 10 essentials the International Rugby Board says teams must aim to get right if they want to lift the Webb Ellis Cup at the Rugby […]
Posted inGeneral
Sexuality, creative blocks and our identities
One of the advantages of writing for the recently closed NewsTime was that I was “required” to produce a column every week. This I did dutifully for nearly a year except for a break over Christmas. “Required” is in inverted commas because there was no payment and therefore no absolute obligation. The idea was that […]
Posted inMedia
Why ideas are terrifying
“To come up with a great idea you’ve got to come up with a lot of stupid ones,” said FNB CEO Michael Jordaan at the YFM event I attended the other night. His comment struck a chord with me because as it happens, I’d been thinking about ideas all day. Not so much ideas themselves, […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Majali’s positive legacy may outstrip his negative one
Last Monday I appeared in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court on behalf of one of the suspects arrested for public violence relating to the protests in that township the previous week. In court seven there were, I believe, 19 accused who made their first appearance before a packed gallery waiting to hear what the fate of […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The spin cycle gets difficult
It was an iconic moment, one that visually summed up how an instantaneous and ubiquitous media limits officialdom’s space for obfuscation, distortion and lying. Spin is getting harder. Muammar Gaddafi’s information chief, Moussa Ibrahim, was on Sunday addressing a captivate audience of international journalists. Literally captive, since they were confined to Tripoli’s Hotel Rix, allowed […]
Posted inMedia
Donkeys and dragons: Facing extinction?
So KFC in Australia will no longer provide free toys with their kids’ meals. Three years ago the company committed itself to putting a stop to “pester power” and this is a major signal of the seriousness of its intention. My sense is that this is part of a broader trend. Given South Africa’s appetite […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zuma needs a democratic Zimbabwe to gain credibility over Libya
The continued claim by South African President Jacob Zuma that the approach of the international community to Libya is just one more example of their lack of respect for Africa is not only misplaced but fails to factor in historical considerations relating to the end of apartheid and this country’s woeful efforts to bring lasting […]
Posted inGeneral
Arendt, forgiveness, accountability and punishment
Much confusion reigns when it comes to Hannah Arendt’s position on the relationship between forgiveness and punishment. The reason why this confusion warrants clarification has much to do with our post-conflict context in which the question of forgiveness keeps coming up along with questions of vengeance, the right to punish as well as the need […]