Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen

We have been here before. The third major public-service strike since 1994 is upon us. During the first major public-service strike since democracy, in 1999, trade unions suffered a significant defeat with government’s unilateral implementation of wages. But in 2007, public-service unions turned the tables on government conducting an unprecedented strike, and building an unlikely […]

This conversation from the movie Before Sunset provides a reason why the people who provide the little achievements of the day should be resting on Mandela Day. Céline: Yes, of course. (Hands him a cigarette.) Um, here. (He takes the cigarette and taps it three times on the table.) In my field, I see these […]

Two incomplete and complicit strands of thought characterise South African responses to the publication of a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Mail & Guardian. The first strand of thought rooted in the Muslim community explains the offence caused by the cartoon through explaining that Islam has a problem with the depiction of […]

There is some confusion over whether the idiom should be a “600-pound gorilla” or the much larger “800-pound” creature. The usage also differs with some using it as a form of praise for companies that have dominant positions in markets, and others using the idiom to describe a difficult situation, which is not being addressed. […]

One line of comments stood out for me as I reacquaint myself with Thought Leader. It stood out because of its callousness. In response to an article by David Saks a commentator called Michael Liermann writes: Yes, surely there will be no peace in the Middle East until Palestinians stop ruthlessly damaging IDF rifle-butts with […]

The 1980s saw the mushrooming of the taxi industry. Informally it provided a better alternative to riding the train or using largely unreliable bus operators. Commuters voted with their feet, providing our burgeoning taxi industry with a solid customer base, as well as largely captive routes. The foundation of the taxi industry is rooted in […]

The in-flight magazine on Kenyan Airways had the usual-usual. The spine of the magazine surprised: a Swahili proverb had been written on it. I cannot remember the exact wording, but it read something like: When two bulls fight, the people suffer. — Swahili proverb A subtle reminder that the political fighting in Kenya was having […]