By Doug Downie It had been a lousy evening. There was trouble at home, which was about 10 000 miles away. The lines of communication were being shut down. It was very difficult to be in the dark about someone like a daughter. There was trouble brewing in my current base as well. A stink was […]
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Posted inLifestyle
Panjo, Panjo…
By Jason Norwood-Young With apologies to William Blake TIGER, tiger, burning bright Near to Delmas, on the right, What infrared hand or eye Could track thy fearful symmetry? In what distant mealies or field What copse of bluegums dost thou shield? Why did you leave your bakkie and leap? Did you see a chicken, or […]
Posted inGeneral
Xenophobia: Yet another threat to the power of myths
By Jazmin Acuna and Kindiza Ngubeni Violence in society is like a crack in a mirror. The crack distorts the image of us, and we become ambiguous. Un-unified. Like the mirror’s crack, violence destroys the fabric that unites people, thus eliminating the possibility of togetherness. South African history speaks at length of the harm that […]
Posted inGeneral
Can you feel it? The Premiership season is coming
By Siphiwe Hlongane We have felt it, and now it’s gone, the world cup that is. It’s time for local football fans to start gearing up for the Absa Premiership. Once again the stakes will be high, hopefully it will not become a big yawn, last season proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the local […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Enough is enough
By Lucky Ntuli As South Africans, it is exhausting and frustrating to have to explain time and time again the behaviour of our politicians. In this particular case having to explain the childish, nonsensical, never amusing and utterly embarrassing Julius Malema. Now, I do not know the “man” nor do I want to. I do […]
Posted inLifestyle
Feel it, it’s here…
By Stuart Thembisile Lewis Ah, what a month and what a World Cup! It was a showcase of all things South African which the world will not soon forget. From prophetic octopi to the Hand of God version 2.0, 90 000 vuvuzelas pointed at 11 Mexicans and 49 million hands over hearts of green and gold, from […]
Posted inGeneral
Peace: What is it really?
By Nhlangano Nyembe I was chatting with a colleague of mine recently about the World Cup in South Africa and inevitably, the subject of the high crime rates in South Africa surfaced. He mentioned how he had read media reports about how dangerous South Africa is. I went on to agree with the reports however […]
Posted inGeneral
I will not hide
By Tamlin Wightman I recently read an article on the BBC News about rape and who is to “blame”. I’d heard of a friend or relative being raped but the victims themselves never told me and rarely spoke of the assault, unlike me — I will speak out. I’m looking back at my own reaction […]
Posted inLifestyle
Once the vuvuzelas have been packed away, will there be any real change?
By Stephen Richards It would appear to be an unusual time to emigrate. The World Cup appears to have been an overwhelming success, the country united, things running relatively smoothly and even prominent corrupt officials are surprisingly being found guilty. An email from a friend painted the picture of a revamped, utopian Durban beachfront. Cape […]
Posted inGeneral
Uruguay broke African hearts, but their performance inspired me
By Siphiwe Hlongane Uruguay are not the most popular team in Africa at the moment, following what happened in their matches against Bafana Bafana and Ghana. They beat South Africa 3-0 in a game that dented Bafana’s chances of qualifying for the last 16 and then they went on to shatter Ghana’s dream of making […]
Posted inGeneral
Did Suarez cheat?
By Ian Dickinson A hollow thud resonated as the ball thumped against the crossbar — a thud that all but silenced the African continent. Asamoah Gyan looked bewildered as did the many that had put their faith in Ghana’s Black Stars. The penalty had been awarded in the dying minutes of extra time following a […]
Posted inGeneral
Talk to me, baby, tell me lies
By The Creator Socio-political conditions in South Africa are bad, and getting worse. At present no organisations, in or out of Parliament, appear able to improve this situation. (Most such organisations, from the SACP to AfriForum, appear devoted to making conditions still worse.) What is to be done? Obviously, the government must be changed. Unfortunately, […]