I admit I have a love affair with the internet. There are naysayers who see the demise of “real” communities and lament the loss of…
Posts published by “Michael Francis”
I have returned to South Africa.
I now teach Economic History and Development Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. I am happy to be back after a couple years away. I had been teaching anthropology at a Canadian University, but Africa called and I returned.
I’m an anthropologist and I study humans and in particular am fascinated by how they see themselves and create often strange and even contradictory things…
While any death should be seen as a tragedy I am finding the media panic surrounding the swine flu to be maddening. Right now the…
South Africa continues to be one of the most polarised nations on earth with race still being one of the most contentious issues. Brandon Huntley’s…
I recently visited Botswana where I was driving a friend’s 4×4 for our annual trans-Kalahari trip. On the return through the Lobatse border post I…
One often hears the quote “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” being used in support of the pro-gun lobby. This quote is partially true…
I spent election day driving around KwaZulu-Natal visiting polling stations both in Durban and Zululand. I started early and headed north to Ulundi and then…
Loaded Minds is a concept expressed by a band, Spirit of the West, about the increasing violent responses and calls for violence that has ingrained…
I’m writing as a Canadian who has made South Africa my home on and off for the past 8 years. I’ve been made to feel…
I was watching the debates on the upcoming election in the Western Cape recently. A large piece of the debate referred to what was deemed…