As a frequent critic of South Africa’s abysmal approach to foreign policies both here in Africa and across the globe I was not surprised to see the latest brouhaha regarding the Dalai Lama. What it boils down to is this: The government has rejected a request for a visa from the Dalai Lama to attend […]
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
Zuma implicating Mbeki is not a basis to drop charges
The fact that ANC president Jacob Zuma is purportedly implicating former South African president Thabo Mbeki in respect of wrongdoing in the arms deal and influencing the Scorpions in respect of the Special Browse Mole report are not the basis upon which the NPA can rely to drop the charges against Zuma. All this means […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Give us an answer, NPA
In the event of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) electing to drop all charges against ANC president Jacob Zuma and thereafter refusing to furnish the basis therefore, then the loss of credibility suffered by Correctional Services in terms of the Schabir Shaik medical parole and Carl Niehaus as a result of his outing as a […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Did Harms show Zuma and NPA the way out?
At the outset I would draw to your attention that the contents of this article are based purely upon my own conjecture and insight and are not the product of any inside knowledge or sources who have confirmed what has been set out herein. As such I trust that you will address your comments and […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Comparing Derby-Lewis to Shaik is dangerous
The decision of a full bench of the North Gauteng High Court to dismiss the parole application of Chris Hani’s murderer, Clive Derby-Lewis has invariably drawn criticism from various quarters. Of primary interest to me are those who would compare Shaik being granted parole with the rejection of Derby-Lewis as well as those suggesting that […]
Posted inGeneral
Start promoting the DA and Cope
Unfortunately we deleted this article in error and are unable to recover it. We apologise for this mistake. – The ThoughtLeader team
Posted inGeneral
Hlophe and Motata’s innocence is not the primary issue
Once again we are being treated to the less than acceptable conduct of two judges who have failed to appreciate the importance of their position within our fledgling multiracial democracy. In the case of Judge Nkola Motata the accused in a drunk driving matter, he has been called upon by the magistrate to explain why […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Why shouldn’t Zuma address religious groups?
Sixty people were so disgusted with what they claimed was electioneering and a refusal or failure to invite other party leaders that they walked out during ANC president Jacob Zuma’s address of the Rhema Church on Sunday. The church thereupon denied that they had in fact endorsed Zuma. Pathetic. The likely future president of South […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Stand up and be counted
In May 2000 Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry of Pakistan was one of 12 supreme court judges who endorsed the military coup of former president general Pervez Musharraf. This was the start of a love-hate relationship between the two which would see Chaudhry, then chief justice, suspended by Musharraf during March 2007 and then reinstated during July […]
Posted inGeneral
I’ve applied to be put on the ANC top 100 list
In 2004 I appeared on a number of occasions in Protea Court, Soweto, in defence of a man who had been charged with murdering his fiancée by shooting her 5 times at point-blank range. As a leading member of her church the trial invariably drew enormous crowds from the community. In respect of the accused […]
Posted inGeneral
Cosatu’s hate speech Constitution?
“Let me clarify one thing. I hate no Jew (for that matter a great admirer of Ronnie Kasrils, Steven Friedman and other millions of Jews who refuse to be silenced on the basis of their nationality by Zionists) and organised a march not to anyone’s neighbourhood, but to offices of an organisation that I considered […]
Posted inNews/Politics
ANC: Don’t lose sight of the wood for the trees
It is interesting to see how many people are of the belief that if you are highly critical of personalities within a party that you cannot, surely, be voting for them in an election. That if you place, as I have, the fight against poverty and the need for transformation above all else as I […]