Posted inNews/Politics

The sexy scale of SA politics

South African politicians aren’t sexy, yet I am slightly disturbed by utterances from some politico circles that politics should be sexy. Sure, it makes sense: sex sells. But considering our socio-economic climate, it appears as if South Africans just aren’t buying. No individual politician from the crop of leaders the 2009 elections produced — in […]

Posted inNews/Politics

South Africans aren’t stupid, Sam

Sam Shilowa and his henchmen – the self-styled Express – insulted not only the intellectual capacity of the members of the party, but South Africans in general. Allegations of misconduct, financial mismanagement, fraud and underhanded tactics haunt the Express and we’re just not buying it. Cope will split, and let me be the first to […]

Posted inNews/Politics

The Conspiracy of the People

Democracy is not just about elections, and yet there is a vocal minority guilty of this reductionism, complicit in conspiring to commit political infanticide. The first inclusive, multiracial democratic elections in 1994 merely marked the culmination of a long, arduous negotiation process that sought to lay the foundation of a new democratic and constitutional order. […]

Posted inGeneral

Queer for Madiba

The Community of Mandela Rhodes Scholars (CMRS) is a rather queer and gay snapshot of a utopian society. Queer in the sense of it being “different” or “strange”, and gay because CMRS gatherings are often jubilant and joyous occasions. But beyond the archaic and now dated uses of these terms, the CMRS has proven to […]

Posted inNews/Politics

What Cope can learn from the DA

Many people, myself included, had hoped and believed that the Congress of the People (Cope) would be a credible alternative to the ruling party. Sadly, Cope has from its start been plagued by two factions: those who are committed to and wanted to build this credible alternative, and those who opportunistically sought to advance their […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Feeding Cope to the dogs

In politics, and in Cope in particular, sometimes it is necessary to “cut through the spin” of that spun by those claiming to cut through the spin. Especially when their cutting lacks surgical precision and leaves much to be desired. I was rather amused by the virtually instantaneous return of two of Cope’s most notorious […]

Posted inLifestyle

Post-Modern Hippie Communalism

But I digress. It felt even more hippie-esque considering the total absence of any furniture beyond the bare necessities residing in the kitchen. The dinners on a mattress in the living room and ashtrays on the floor accompanied by constantly refilled wine glasses and philosophical musings stand out as memorable experiences thus far. It has […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Eulogy for a right-wing nutjob

As we gather here today to reflect on the passing of an unfortunate soul and tragic enigma of our collective South African history, very few words can adequately capture the impact of this his actions and ideas on countless South Africans throughout the span of his public and private life. Eugene was an anachronism, not […]