With all the major parties gnashing their teeth and wailing on about how terrible the South African crime statistics are, you’d think the time had finally come to start making major inroads into crime. Unfortunately the talk and the walk are totally out of sync with one another. Just a few reminders: NPA withdraw charges […]
Michael Trapido
Mike Trapido is a criminal attorney and publicist having also worked as an editor and journalist.
He was born in Johannesburg and attended HA Jack and Highlands North High Schools.
He married Robyn in 1984 (Mrs Traps, aka "the government") and has three sons (who all look suspiciously like her ex-boss).
He was a counsellor on the JCCI for a year around 1992.
His passions include Derby County, Blue Bulls, Orlando Pirates, Proteas and Springboks.
He takes Valium in order to cope with Bafana Bafana's results.
Practice Michael Trapido Attorney (civil and criminal) 011 022 7332
Posted inNews/Politics
Something doesn’t ring true in the assault case against Malema
There is one thing that is really puzzling me in the case that has opened against ANCYL President Julius Malema. Why would he, a man permanently under the spotlight, get involved in physical contact? Firstly he has umpteen bodyguards because of the nature of his role within the volatile ANCYL. If he wanted someone sorted […]
Posted inGeneral
Malema arrives in Sandton, whites finally rush to the airport
You have to admit the news that ANCYL President Julius Malema’s Sandton neighbours were up in arms about his house-warming party is one of the funniest things we’ve heard about in ages. Apparently Malema sent out a notice warning residents that he was throwing a bash and if you had any objections that was not […]
Posted inNews/Politics
SA united on sacking Chuene but silent on racism
If ever South Africa has embarrassed itself then it has to be on the Caster Semenya issue. Here I’m not referring to ASA boss Leonard Chuene, who has made a total idiot out of himself by carrying on a lie in the face of the terrible things we were saying about the international community and […]
Posted inNews/Politics
If we dumb down matric, would Malema’s G be a distinction for woodwork?
The Times on their fabulous new site had an item about the “Plan to dumb down matric” for South African pupils which automatically got me thinking that the geniuses who had come up with this idea had probably achieved a dumbed-down matric themselves. It entails a distinction in any subject, if this proposal goes ahead, […]
Posted inGeneral
NILC support for JSC on Hlophe to be welcomed
I don’t know if many of you lot have noticed but there is a worrying trend that is starting to develop every time an issue crops up that grabs national attention — individuals or groups getting behind those who share their race rather than their ideas. This South Africans is your non-starter for ten. Though […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Brandon Huntley: Canadian sans sore thumb
Seems the whole country and beyond is abuzz with the granting of refugee status to one Brandon Huntley, by Canadian immigration, on inter alia the grounds that he is the target for persecution by “African, South Africans”. Considering that this plays out as black South Africans picking on white South Africans for being white, it […]
Posted inGeneral
Die for Zuma? We’ll be lucky if the SANDF rocks up for duty
It is a well-recognised fact that a volunteer army, like the United States, should be far more effective than a conscript one simply because the former is made up of career professionals capable of learning about sophisticated weaponry and tactics through years of service while the latter consists primarily of school leavers and other youngsters […]
Posted inSport
Kick Chiefs, Millwall and West Ham out of tournaments
In 1995 while acting for various syndicates of Lloyd’s of London I was fortunate enough to travel to the United Kingdom to meet with certain members of the underwriter. The trip lasted for ten days which gave me the opportunity to go and watch my beloved Derby County play on three separate occasions, the last […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Could Zuma do an Mbeki on Motlanthe?
When former president Thabo Mbeki was confronted with allegations of corruption concerning — then deputy — President Jacob Zuma pursuant to the trial of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik, he felt obliged to take action against his right-hand man. The resultant removal of Zuma from office had a major impact on the history of South African […]
Posted inNews/Politics
I voted for Mbeki
“This is quite interesting … we think of white people who ‘never supported apartheid’. You find in the ANC that no one supported Mbeki.” (Columnist and academic Jacob Dlamini.) Dlamini was addressing an audience at the annual Ruth First lecture in Johannesburg alongside Frene Ginwala, the ANC veteran and former speaker of Parliament. Although the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Where’s Shaik?
If the British media catches any politician or celebrity taking the mickey out of them, then they derive great pleasure in reaching out, as one, and grabbing the genius concerned by the short and curlies. Not for them the stiff upper lip for which the Brits are so well-known, this is in-your-face — why did […]