Something in me dies, a piece of me dies every time I attend the memorial service of a greatly misunderstood artist. It would seem that the event, which should place the life of the dearly departed into perspective, is an excuse to deny the role he played as an agent of change in this country. […]
Sandile Memela
Sandile Memela is a journalist, writer, cultural critic, columnist and civil servant. He lives in Midrand.
Posted inMedia
When the media dances to Umshini Wami
I think Jacob Zuma has a big future as a media super star. In fact, I think his presidency is going to be a sort of peak in term of the government’s relations with the media. It is a very natural development. Imagine yourself being a shareholder at one of the media monopolies where your […]
Posted inMedia
Black journos disappearing from the editorial front line
I am about to comprehensively lose confidence in the future of print media, especially newspapers, in South Africa. Worse, the major groups compound the problem by denying that not only are most of their black editors tokens but now confirming that they never appointed them on merit in the first place. The recent trend in […]
Posted inGeneral
Arch’s arrows nothing but a point-scoring exercise
It is now common for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to talk of boycotts, be it of the elections or attending the peace conference. Of course, this creates a lot of publicity and mileage for the Arch to maintain his position as one of the most outspoken critics of the South African government. But I am […]
Posted inGeneral
Editors who don’t support the ANC don’t stand for anything
There has not been a time in the history of this country when so many blacks occupied the hot seat of editorship at mainstream newspapers, yet they lack political conviction. The truth of the matter is that most black editors are fence-sitters who are afraid to rock the boat. This happens at a time when […]
Posted inGeneral
The more Cape arts change, the more they stay the same
Recent events in the Western Cape region reveal the smug face of white middle-class cultural activity and consumption that refuses to transform. There was the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, for instance, which revealed the unchanging “whiteness” of the event with only one African nominee on the list, Mwenya Kabwe, winning best actress in leading […]
Posted inGeneral
Opposition won’t Shaik Schabir off for being Zuma’s friend
There is this sudden and quick South African political obsession with keeping convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik in jail. The obsession has got nothing to do with the fight for justice and equality before the law but everything to do with the fact that he is friends with ANC President Jacob Zuma. There is unfounded fear […]
Posted inGeneral
Predictions will flourish until ANC wins the elections
It is political silly season again when analysts, commentators, researchers and other know-it-all types tell us that the ANC is headed for a humiliating defeat at the coming polls. This seems to have become the pattern in the last three elections. If these prophets spoke the truth, the ANC would have long been dead and […]
Posted inGeneral
Men of God … and state?
It would seem that political leadership, suddenly, is being engineered in such a way to reveal the supposedly gentle, caring, uncorrupted and revolutionary face of a modern-day Jesus Christ. I don’t know what we should make of this development where men of God, mostly, who dress in the white collar are rushing to become the […]
Posted inGeneral
Why Tito and Cyril won’t go to parliament
Depending on how you choose to look at things, prominent people who have declined nomination for the ANC parliamentary list are either snobbish or just hold utter contempt for the people’s choices. The two cases that come to mind are business magnate Cyril Ramaphosa and Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni. It may be difficult for […]
Posted inGeneral
Big business paid $1-billion for Obama hope
Few people have wondered how much it cost America to have its first … er, post-racial president. Not long ago I heard former cabinet minister Kader Asmal tell a public gathering that it cost $1-billion! Of course if that is true the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the so-called first “black president” of the […]
Posted inGeneral
Why most BEE types lead lives of quiet desperation
Not too long ago a friend of mine was telling me how difficult it is to be a man, especially today. He says he has not had a lot of fun over the last 10 years or so because he has not yet become a multi-millionaire. Instead, he has been on a campaign trial trying […]