Posted inGeneral

Martyrs and reconciliation

Just over 14 years ago, at 5am on Monday January 17 1994, my mother was rudely woken by loud banging on the door of her tiny one-bedroom flat. She got out of bed, opened the door and was shoved aside as four policemen with R1 rifles stormed in and ransacked her home without giving her […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Lash those name-givers!

A few years ago, at a conference in the Middle East, I met a man called Mustapha (which is another name for the Prophet Muhammad). Interesting guy, Mustapha. Passionate about social justice issues, outspoken against Islamophobia, strident critic of Israeli occupation, a strong believer in equal rights. But … someone needs to take Mustapha’s parents […]

Posted inMediaNews/Politics

Independent Newspapers censors, withdraws and censors again

Today, Business Report, which is inserted in a number of Independent Newspapers daily publications across the country, carries a censored advert on its back page from the End Occupation Campaign (EOC). The ad was censored by the newspaper company. The EOC — a coalition of Palestine solidarity groups, faith-based organisations such as the South African […]

Posted inGeneral

Let those street signs be praised!

(I swear I was composing this in my head before I read Matthew Buckland’s post “Name changes: ‘Cost argument’ is nonsense”.) I was driving home from Pretoria (sorry, Tshwane) last night, just before midnight. I followed the N1 south after Midrand, took the overpass that curves frighteningly (when it’s around midnight and you want to […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Tutu banned, unbanned

So the University of St Thomas has decided to withdraw its withdrawal of the invitation to Archbishop Desmond Tutu to speak at that esteemed institution. For people who have not been following the story, Tutu was to be hosted on the campus by the justice and peace studies programme, together with an organisation called PeaceJam […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Dear Helen Zille …

An open letter to the Mayor of Cape Town Dear Mayor Zille It is completely unacceptable that you were treated in such an unbecoming way by police on Sunday when you participated in the anti-drug march in Cape Town, the city where you are mayor. While I don’t necessarily agree with the ANC’s Smuts Ngonyama […]