When I was editor of the Cape Times and decided in 1998 to launch a project called “One City, Many Cultures”, I knew that I needed the best people to work on it. It was going to be an editorial project for which I was going to hire some of the best writers and photographers […]
Ryland Fisher
Ryland Fisher is former editor of the Cape Times and author of the book Race. This is his second book, following on Making the Media Work for You, which was published in 2002. He is executive chairperson of the Cape Town Festival, which he initiated while editor of the Cape Times in 1999 as part of the One City Many Cultures project. He received an international media award for this project in New York in October 2006.
His personal motto is "bringing people together", which was the theme of One City Many Cultures. It remains the theme of the Cape Town Festival and is the theme of Race. Ryland has worked in and with government, in the media for more than 25 years, in the corporate sector, in NGOs and in academia. Ultimately, however, he describes himself as "just a souped-up writer".
Posted inLifestyle
Hamba kahle Winston Mankunku Ngozi
The news came unexpectedly in a text message this morning (Tuesday 13 October 2009): “Bro Winston Mankunku Ngozi has passed on. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends. May he find peace.” Just two Sundays ago, we were paying tribute to Mankunku and his music at the inappropriately named Swingers jazz club. At […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Malema vs Terre’Blanche: A breeding ground for radicalism
It is with great interest that I have been following the careers of Eugene Terre’Blanche and Julius Malema. In some ways, both of them remind me of the bad things that we have tried to put behind us in this country. They both remind me of children who, in their frustration to get their points […]
Posted inGeneral
In search of a South African identity
A while ago I was speaking to an African-American friend who was visiting South Africa. He told me that he found it strange that when he is in the United States, he is considered an African-American, but when he is in Africa, he is only an American. I thought about this comment last week when […]
Posted inGeneral
Driven by race
I was fortunate last week to attend the Fourth World Summit on Arts and Culture at Museum Africa in Newtown last week. The theme of the summit was “Meeting of Cultures: Creating Meaning Through the Arts”. For three days, we talked about intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity and everyone was agreed, roughly, on the need […]
Posted inLifestyle
Happy birthday, Boeta Robbie
Robbie Jansen, legendary Cape Town jazz saxophonist, flautist and singer, turns 60 today (August 5 2009) … and I am fortunate to pay tribute to this musical great while he is still alive. These days it is quite sad to see Jansen perform with his ever-present oxygen tank. He still tries to hit the high […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A different kind of festival
This week we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Cape Town Festival and I can’t believe that ten years have gone by so quickly. The festival was born out of the “One City, Many Cultures” project that I initiated while I was editor of the Cape Times. The project was a direct response to […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Taking ownership of an American president
A talk show host on a Cape Town radio station was joking (Wednesday, November 5 2008) about how a coloured won the F1 title on Sunday and how another coloured won the US presidential election. I had never thought about it like this but I guess when somebody achieves something in life, everybody wants to […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
When is a racist not a racist?
I was privileged to watch Abdullah Ibrahim’s trio perform in Artscape’s Opera House last Saturday. I have seen them perform several times and am always amazed at how talented all three musicians are. But to watch an Abdullah Ibrahim performance requires concentration, which is probably why South Africa’s best jazz pianist refuses to perform at […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
From socialists to socialites
It has been interesting to note the personal attacks from ANC alliance leaders to the potential breakaway party to be launched by Mosiuoa Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa. Several ANC leaders, including spokesperson Jessie Duarte, Women’s League President Angie Motshekga, and Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, have taken swipes at Lekota and Shilowa’s personalities and their […]
Posted inGeneral
What if?
What if there had never been apartheid and colonialism in South Africa? Who and what would we have blamed for many of our problems today? What if Nelson Mandela had not spent 27 years in prison? Would he still have been as revered by the international community? Would he still have become our president? What […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
White people can be among the most racist
The response to my last blog on black racists proves what I have known for a long time: South Africans are still heavily divided along racial grounds and they find it difficult to have a discussion on the issue without losing their tempers. I have never had so many white people agreeing with what I […]