By Mahmood Sanglay Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey were in South Africa in June and wowed South Africans in an unprecedented way. Obama was here on a visit to meet our youth. Oprah came to receive an honorary doctorate conferred upon her by the University of the Free State. The two women met for dinner […]
2011
Posted inGeneral
The right to life
By Nobukhosi Ngwenya An article published a few months ago outlined how an organisation called Project Prevention was gearing to set up shop in South Africa. The project pays drug addicts and alcoholics to get sterilised. Barbara Harris, Project Prevention founder, would use the phrase “long-term birth control” instead of “sterilisation”. Let us call a […]
Posted inGeneral
Cosatu should form a breakaway party
Hardly a week goes by without reading another blast from Cosatu’s Zwelinzima Vavi against President Jacob Zuma’s wavering leadership style or the ANC’s reluctance to take strong action against some top government official or minister accused of corruption. The string of very public and virulent attacks culminated with the latest criticism at the meeting of […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
The ancestors strike back
The angry whispering of my ancestors, black, tan and white, refer. They speak about the words of some Deployed Writers in this middle-class space about race and hatred and the Great Juggernaut; the Great One, that Great Socialist of the humble bank account, that is bringing hope to the African poor and anxiety to the […]
Posted inGeneral
The dirty underworld of soccer
We continue to hear of reports of bribery and corruption in Fifa. Why should it be immune? And like I always say, where there’s smoke there’s fire. We have Mr Jack Warner who’s being supported at home, but who resigned from Fifa, which means we will in all likelihood never find out the real truth […]
Posted inGeneral
The great software decision: Build or buy?
There are some kinds of software you just buy: word processors, email clients and anti-virus packages are obvious examples. But when it comes to software that serves more specialised needs in the organisation, like financial systems, many people wonder if it wouldn’t be better to build their own. At least that way, the argument goes, […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Take a short left, captain
So the taxi industry wants to launch a low-cost airline. Seriously? As soon as this year? I’m nervous, shocked but most of all appalled. Of course I’m not one of those absurd people who think Baba Mkhize from the Bree taxi rank will give up his fake leather jacket, izincab’elela and fong kong Nike Clima-FIT […]
Posted inSport
Sports, a force of unity in SA
By Roxanne Rua One of the most noticeable aspects of South African culture I encountered when arriving here from abroad was the passion that so many people have for sports. Be it soccer, rugby, cricket or any number of amateur athletic pursuits, South Africans are loyal supporters, talented participants and indeed good sportsmen and women. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Digital tongues: Africans in conversation 2
A little later than promised here is part two of “Digital Tongues”. For new readers here is a brief recap of what this is about: “Digital Tongues” is a series of Skype and email conversations between myself and four other Africans from Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa. As I lack ruthless editing skills, I […]
Posted inEnvironment, Lifestyle, News/Politics
Thoughts on the Greenpeace action at Eskom
Recently Greenpeace Africa took action at Eskom’s Megawatt Park, dumping five tonnes of coal at one entrance to the power utility’s headquarters. The act was a protest against the way Eskom produces South Africa’s electricity, 90% of which comes from climate-changing coal. As the twelth largest CO2 emitter in the world, located at the foot […]
Posted inLifestyle
How we waste food
According to staggering new statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, roughly one-third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption is lost or wasted, amounting to some 1.3 billion tons a year. In the developing world, more than 40% of food losses occur after harvest — while being stored or transported, and during […]
Posted inNews/Politics
We should lower the voting age to 16
The Council of Europe’s recent call for its members to investigate lowering the voting age to 16, while not a novel idea, is undoubtedly a controversial one. In South Africa the idea of lowering the voting age was first raised by former president Nelson Mandela in 1994 when, in an interview with Time magazine (May […]