An article on August 08 2008 in one of Mail & Guardian’s competitors’ car magazines open with the line “Porsches, Dodge Vipers, Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Corvettes, Lamborghinis”, which is what the Metro Police in Cape Town are asking for. According to the article, Heathcliff Thomas, the head of Cape Town’s traffic department, showed one photo […]
Shareef Blankenberg
Although all contributions are my personal views, I am an ANC member and a cadre. I am employed as a study group secretary by ANC Caucus in Parliament. I grew up in the ANC, and it forms a large part of who and what I am
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Homecoming revolution?
“Many South Africans are leaving the country.” “South Africa is experiencing a brain-drain, as many (especially white) professionals are leaving the country.” “Many South Africans are living abroad nowadays.” “Crime is driving South Africans out of their own country.” “If Zuma becomes president, I am leaving South Africa.” Above are just some of the comments […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
Good advertising – we’ve been having it!
About two years ago, I read an article about a Swedish promotion agency saying that South African adverts are among the best in the world. I sometimes get upset when I walk down Parliament Street and see the foreigners (Western foreigners, that is!) busy shooting a commercial or part of a movie on Church Square. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Ubuntu — made in China
On 12 May 2008, at 2.28pm, an earthquake registering 8.0 on the Richter scale hit the Chinese province of Sichuan. The earthquake, believed by scientists to be 30 times as fierce as the one that hit Kobe in Japan in 1995, released the energy of five atomic bombs combined. More than 40 000 people are confirmed […]
Posted inSport
Let me race in the streets, please
This weekend a young man tragically died in the streets of Durban while participating in a legal street race. My heart goes out to the family, friends and fellow street racers of Gert Vorster from Johannesburg. Ironically, Gert clocked the fastest time of the race shortly before he crashed. Although this is tragic, people must […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Sad to be a South African …
This past weekend, residents of Masipumelele informal settlement apologised to displaced people driven from their homes in the township during the cowardly xenophobic attacks that have raced through some Western Cape informal settlements since the start of the weekend. One Masipumelele resident said in an interview that “it sure does not feel good to be […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
Building economic capacity
Last night (6 May 2008), a high-level South African government delegation arrived in Doha, Qatar for bilateral talks with that country. The agreement that would be signed by President Thabo Mbeki and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, would conclude negotiations between the two countries that started a long time ago, but […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
To Thabo or not to Thabo
That is indeed the question today! Except for showing the confusion among the people of South Africa, this also gives us an idea of the fickle state of the South African media. Unfortunately, media reports often form public opinion and therefore influence thinking among our people. Post-Polokwane saw massive public sympathy for Thabo Mbeki due […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Going, going, gone — a whole generation lost
The recent South African Human Rights Commission report on school-based violence should have us all worried. It shows that some Western Cape schools pose higher safety and security risks than the townships themselves. The public hearing also noted (with extreme concern) the upsurge in violence on educators by learners. I know someone is going to […]
Posted inSport
Who’s judging the judges?
While a previous blog dealt with the issue of the judiciary, this one should not be seen in tandem. And let me also clarify that this is a question, not an attack on anybody or any institution. I am just crazy about sport and do not like to see the image of the game (any […]
Posted inGeneral
What about my rights?
I know this one is really going to open a flood of responses, most negative, but I have to ask this question. For the past couple of years, I have seen much reporting on the work of Afri-Forum. According to some news bulletins on mainly SABC2, it is a “rights-based group” doing sterling work on […]
Posted inNews/Politics
This ‘business unusual’ government
On February 8 2008, the president of the Republic of South Africa, the Most Honourable Thabo M Mbeki, delivered his annual State of the Nation address to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. The thrust of the address was the new government theme, “business unusual”. In line with this theme, the Cabinet […]