Submitted by Obert Mathivha As we are still nursing the pain of Africans beating and killing each other in Kenya and Zimbabwe, the same Africans are now attacking each other in the southern part of Africa. This is a result of the state of service delivery in our country, which is below average. We are […]
Reader Blog
On our Reader Blog, we invite Thought Leader readers to submit one-off contributions to share their opinions on politics, news, sport, business, technology, the arts or any other field of interest.
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Posted inNews/Politics
Us versus them
Submitted by David Drew The xenophobic racism spreading like a disease across South Africa may have myriad causes, but at its core, the ugly truth is that it exposes a predisposition to bigotry that we all potentially share. It is the same “button” that has been pushed by despots, dictators, religious leaders, politicians and criminals […]
Posted inGeneral
Where are we heading?
Submitted by Robert Hamer If you were to ask my friends and family, you would probably find me to be one of the most optimistic people about South Africa. At every opportunity I speak with great vigour and defend my country to all the assaults that are launched on it — from crime and corruption […]
Posted inLifestyle
Consider our children: Thoughts on hyperactivity and mind-altering drugs
Candice apologised for her son Amo. He was, she said, just hyperactive. He was destroying my home and possessions, and spreading my tools round the whole house. I grabbed my two little pull-back toy cars, sat myself on the floor and we played for 20 minutes, until I became bored. He concentrated on making the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Americans: Good people with bad publicity
Submitted by Catherine Parker I feel compelled to provide another perspective on Tony Jackman’s “Ten places I’d sooner live than have a green card“. At the heart of Jackman’s argument is that American society is so off-putting that he’d rather live anywhere else than there. Two years ago, I would have agreed wholeheartedly. After all, […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zuma vs Mbeki
Submitted by Muhammad Karim I feel every South African has this going through their minds, consciously or subconsciously. We’re all witnessing the effects of Mbeki’s passive leadership. He seems to be making some serious faux pas when it comes to current issues such as Zimbabwe (“There is no crisis” and giving the green light to […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Afro-realists
Submitted by Muhammad Karim I have been bombarded of late with a series of emails and conversations around Afro-optimism versus Afropessimism, with the ultimate aim being to answer this question: What exactly is going on with this country and where exactly is it going? I think it is appropriate to look at all the arguments […]
Posted inBusiness
Be aggressive, BEE aggressive
Submitted by Marius Redelinghuys As a white male in South Africa, I usually encounter raised eyebrows on both extremes of the racial divide when I articulate my support for BEE and AA, with Afrikaner white people labelling me a traitor and sell-out, and along with black people calling me a gatkruiper or arse-kisser. Regardless, I […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Understanding SA politics using a crystal ball
Submitted by John Bond (Complimentary crystal ball provided) I suggest we could adapt Scott Peck’s model on religious and spiritual views as a way of understanding our political views. Use a model that explains religion and spirituality to understand politics? Suggest that one can have an idea of a group’s political actions by using a […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Why X still marks the spot for the ANC
Submitted by Phaphama Dulwana It’s certainly not Thabo Mbeki’s dazzling smile on the ballot papers, or the great service delivery in our country. It’s certainly not the unity inside the African National Congress either. So why are the majority of voters throwing away their votes to the ever-crumbling ANC? Fear! This is the only reason […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Let’s put our breasts together for …
Submitted by Claire Baker I’m surprised no one else has written about this topic. Perhaps it is too trivial, or perhaps our contributors have been momentarily distracted by what the day has to offer. I’m even more surprised to find myself writing about it. After all, I don’t look that bad in a Wonderbra, so […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Mbeki outwitted Mugabe
Submitted by Takwana Makaya Quiet diplomacy was seen as a failure, but it also was a venomous snakebite that left Zanu-PF splattered into pieces, divided and with nowhere to hide. If President Thabo Mbeki forced Uncle Bob to adopt radical changes in reforming the electoral system, the vampire regime would have told Mbeki to go […]