If truth be told, black people are not interested in the confessions of white people who suffer with guilt from the sins of colonialism and apartheid. In the 21st century where both colonialism and apartheid have – depending on how you look at things – been defeated, we don’t want to know of people who […]
Sandile Memela
Sandile Memela is a journalist, writer, cultural critic, columnist and civil servant. He lives in Midrand.
Posted inGeneral
None but the poor can save themselves
Poverty is not a priority problem in this country. In fact, it does not deserve the status that it has been given. What is needed is to provide for the material needs of the poor through infrastructure-building and inspirational messages. It is enough that that is being is done. The black poor cannot continue to […]
Posted inGeneral
Will the new Thabo Mbeki please speak up?
Former president Thabo Mbeki is creeping back into the intellectual spotlight. His pronouncement on the issue of knowledge production at the University of Stellenbosch Business School’s Knowledge Management Conference recently has generated much heat and light. His utterances have, rightly, put a critical spotlight on the role of academia and business in not only generating […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Where have all our intellectuals gone?
The strange nature of South African democracy in its static economic condition makes the position and function of so-called intellectuals and thought leaders within it very complex and almost dysfunctional. Those who consider themselves intellectuals are not, at face value, critically engaging with the patriarchal, racist and capitalist superpower structure which makes it almost impossible […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle
Why can’t successful women get hitched?
Not long ago I found myself chilling at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton with a group of super-successful African male professionals. They were four, middle-aged gentlemen wearing designer labels with their posh cars parked in the underground lot. We had just decided to get together to play catch-up because we had increasingly become aware […]
Posted inGeneral
SA isn’t perfect
No doubt South Africa still has the potential to be one of the super-nations on earth. Yes, we can be one of the most powerful and influential players on the world stage. It is just that we measure our success in terms of problems and not the solutions that we have provided for some of […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
The rise of bling: What is the artist’s role in society
There’s a trend of new multi-millionaires who throw mega-weddings for public recognition. Tenderpreneurs like Robert Gumede from Mpumalanga, Shauwn Mpisane from KwaZulu-Natal, Fikile Bili from the Orange Free State and recently Limpopo property mogul David Mabilu. The thinking behind this is to make a statement that says “ses’fikile — we have arrived”. Depending on how […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Self-hating black writers — what gives?
There is a dangerous increase in books written by black authors and so-called intellectuals that give a negative portrayal of life under freedom and democracy. One can even judge the content of these by their covers because they, inevitably, have vivid and memorable titles that assault the integrity of the first legitimate and elected black […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Black journalists’ role in the struggle needs to be re-examined
It was 34 years ago that the apartheid regime mounted its assault against the freedom and integrity of so-called black newspapers. On October 19 1977, the government silenced the World and Weekend World publications, which were mistaken for revolutionary voices simply because of the skin colour of the staff and the racially segmented market they […]
Posted inGeneral
Steve Biko is dead?
Someone recently said that when Steve Biko died 34 years ago, his philosophy of Black Consciousness died with him. They went on to charge that his inspiring and life-affirming psycho-political programme had been badly mangled by the Azanian People’s Organisation, which could not comprehend its essence beyond their obsession with the politics of skin colour. […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
The loyalty of African journalism
My interest was piqued on reading the deliberate distortion of the thrust of Eric Miyeni’s views on the role of African journalists in corporate media. The question is not how Miyeni said what he said, but the substance of the point he failed to make. Despite the rage of the machine against his hate speech, […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Julius Malema, Ferial Haffajee, Eric Miyeni and the economic web
It is ignorance of how the media operates that will make people act surprised at the sacking of allegedly controversial Sowetan columnist, Eric Miyeni. He published an article where he attempted to put the relationship between politics and the media into context. Specifically, he tried to link the City Press’ vigorous efforts to taint the […]