By Aalia Cassim The popular narrative in the run-up to the elections sprawled across South African televisions, billboards and suburban walls is largely premised on service-delivery successes in post-apartheid South Africa. It is true that the asset and service deficit characteristic under the apartheid government has markedly improved. But almost daily reports of misused municipal […]
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Posted inEquality, News/Politics
Khaya Dlanga…white South Africans are trying
By Jordan Griffiths In a recent article Khaya Dlanga looked at race relations in our country 20 years on and presented the argument that in his view black people have made more of an effort towards the process of integration. He cited how black South Africans move to white suburbs, learn English and Afrikaans and […]
Posted inEquality
Over the last decade, 17 million more children are learning in sub-Saharan Africa
By Pauline Rose Sub-Saharan Africa often hits the headlines for the wrong reasons — and this is just as much the case in education as in other areas. Failure of schooling to keep pace with population growth means that the region is now responsible for more than half of the 57 million children out of school. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
If you vote, you can’t complain
By Colin Ibu Voting is a waste of time and energy better spent being genuinely political. For those of you who are so disempowered that you understand political participation to be limited to drawing an X twice a decade, and maybe signing an online petition when they get sent directly to your inbox, feel free […]
Posted inEquality
Africa, gay rights and how culture shifts
By Gedion Onyango In a previous post, “Africa: The link between gay rights, chieftaincy and patronage”, I made a sociological analysis of gay legislation status in sub-Saharan Africa, and encouraged more research into the issue. The responses I got were interesting. The commentators’ views broadened my perspectives and more explanations from me are in order. […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
We need more gun owners in South Africa, not less
By Gideon Daniel Joubert Gun ownership in South Africa has again been thrust into the spotlight, in no small part thanks to the high-profile criminal case against Oscar Pistorius gracing our television screens and the front pages of almost every newspaper. It is mindboggling that the allegedly negligent actions of but one famous public figure […]
Posted inEquality
Africa: The link between gay rights, chieftaincy and patronage
By Gedion Onyango The gay stance between Uganda versus international community is simply a struggle in defining standard international socio-cultural norms in a globalised system. This involves the processes of determining who defines these norms and how these norms should be enforced. It also brings into question contents of these norms and how these norms […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
The real face of violence in South Africa
By Dariusz Dziewanski Violence in South Africa is nothing new. Both the devastating effects of violence, and the risk factors underlying it, have existed before the Oscar Pistorius trial and will continue to exist after it. What will cease to exist is a media and public fascination with violence. As interest wanes, violence will no […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
Museveni’s gay cult
By Steven Hussey Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s motives for criminalising homosexuality are hopelessly uninformed, unscientific and proof of gross ignorance when it comes to sexual orientation. He said, “No study has shown you can be homosexual by nature. That man can choose to love a man … is a matter of choice. After listening to […]
Posted inEquality, Media
‘12 Years a Slave’: Is it relevant to South Africans?
By Thulani Grenville-Grey I saw 12 Years a Slave recently. I wanted to see something real that would make me feel “deep-down” things, you know, fundamental things. I wanted to feel outraged about something worth feeling outraged about, have an opinion about an Oscar-nominated movie, form a critique, have something to argue about into the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Figures point to a culture of police impunity
By Lukas Muntingh and Gwenaelle Dereymaeker Since the start of service-delivery protests in Mothotlung in the North West, four people died at the hands of the police. On several occasions, the police ministry has made statements defending its corps. The government’s arguments can be summarised as follows: (i) There is no culture of impunity in […]
Posted inGeneral
The church encourages good
A response to Kagure Mugo’s “The church has more money than God”. By Philip Burnett I was going to call this piece “In defence of the church”, but then changed my mind as I don’t feel like entering into partisan discussions. My basic contention is that the good done by religion and “the church” far […]