Michael Trapido

President Jacob Zuma is going to have to draw a line in the sand and decide where loyalty ends and common sense begins in his, as well as the African National Congress’s, approach to the ANCYL and its president, Julius Malema. After yesterday’s racist tirade at the University of Johannesburg the ANC has yet to […]

Soweto is still reeling from the news that four high school pupils were killed when an alleged race between two Mini Coopers went horrifically wrong. The incident occurred in Mdlalose Street, Protea North at around 4.00pm yesterday. Allegedly the two vehicles were racing along the two-way street which runs between Protea Glen and Protea North […]

South African President Jacob Zuma was given a warm welcome by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, upon his state visit to Britain on Wednesday, with a Horse Guards’ Parade followed by a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace. It was a royal spectacular with all the tradition, pomp and ceremony that only the British seem to […]

As a result of the growing media pressure surrounding ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s lifestyle audit a press conference was scheduled for Tuesday in order to afford his attorney, Tumi Mokwena, the opportunity of clearing up some of the issues. At the media briefing Mokwena stated that while Malema was still registered as a […]

Due to what appears to be a desire to bridge (which in itself means never having to shake hands — English translation) the communications gap some of you have requested that further terms, phrases and personalities, unique to South Africa, be translated into language that everyone can understand. Accordingly herewith : PART II Malema shall […]

The problem with leniency in matters relating to sex offenders is that it creates a trend that is difficult to break until some learned judge decides that he has had enough and reverses it. Yesterday Cézanne Visser (Barbie) was sentenced to 7 years in prison having been found guilty of 11 sex-related charges, including indecently […]

On March 21 1960 South African police opened fire on a crowd of black protesters, killing 69 people, in what would become known around the world as “The Sharpeville Massacre”. On that occasion while the ANC was in the process of launching a campaign of protests against pass laws it was their rival Pan Africanist […]

Professor Pierre de Vos confirms my earlier interpretation that it is not illegal for ANC Youth League President Julius Malema to have business interests. “The ANC is correct to point out that in principle, it is not illegal or in contravention of any code of conduct for a company in which Julius Malema is involved, […]

While the ANC and ANCYL were issuing a statement condemning “with contempt” the Star newspaper for its article entitled “Malema’s millions”, Cosatu were calling for a lifestyle audit of political leaders. The trade union federation were subsequently joined by Sadtu, whose general secretary, Mugwena Maluleke, issued a statement after the union’s national executive council’s two-day […]

When ANC Youth League President Julius Malema addressed the National Press Club in Pretoria, following the heckling and booing of SACP delegates at Polokwane, he confirmed that this conduct was an invitation to war which the ANCYL was accepting. Fair enough. Those who had confused Malema’s reception by the SACP with that of a politician […]