General

“I have never cared very much for personal prizes. A man does not become a freedom fighter in the hope of winning awards, but when I was notified that I had won the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Mr de Klerk, I was deeply moved.” This is how Nelson Mandela responded when asked about […]

Increasing demand for water continues to put a strain on available water sources, threatening the livelihood of millions of small-scale farmers who depend on water for their crops. At a time when one in eight people lack access to safe water, Nourishing the Planet points to low-cost, small-scale innovations to better manage this vital resource. […]

It took the creative genius of an Apple to fulfil the prophecy, but the age of mobility is finally here, and it shows no signs of letting up on innovative surprises or promoting widespread addictive behaviour. First, the iPhone rekindled the smartphone concept, brushing aside Symbian and to a lesser degree BlackBerry, and spawning formidable […]

Since the dawn of democracy, I have met, shaken hands and embraced many people who respond to my greeting with the refrain: “Why complain? Nobody listens.” It’s an expression of frustration towards their leaders in political organisations, companies, churches and government. This expression is not only about disappointment, but also borders on cynicism. They feel […]

The tragic saga of the Setas visited upon them by the Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande has been couched in language to do with “skills, training, accountability and democracy”. As with so many instances before this, things are not what they seem when it comes to the antics of the general-secretary of the SACP. […]

In the course of reading some of the reports on Julius Malema’s hate speech trial, it struck me that there was something that was woefully absent from the evidence — pro as well as contra — given in its course. At the outset I should stress that I have not attended the trial, and that […]

By Roger Diamond “WE TOLD YOU SO!” Let me explain. Peak oil theorists and activists have been warning of the possibility of imminent peak oil for many years now. And what we have been saying is coming true. Oil-price spikes, revelations regarding ACTUAL oil reserves and production, economic tantrums, social unrest, rising food prices and […]

“Don’t trust anybody,” an old consultant told me one morning in the corridor of the government office, sotto voce and all that. “I mean — anybody.” He had been in the country for more than five years and I took note. Each morning I wake up to the sound of a muezzin in the background, […]

The process of company acquisitions or mergers is complex by nature. One of the challenges faced is the decision around systems. A typical pattern is that the acquiring company replaces the systems and processes with its own. There are a few problems with this approach. For starters, any systems change on a large scale can […]

By Dr Pieter Streicher, MD at BulkSMS.com It’s important to include mobile included in your marketing mix, and especially SMS thanks to its reach, pervasiveness and acceptance by consumers across all demographics. How do you effectively use SMS to bridge the gap between offline marketing activities and online, permission-based engagement with your customer base? How […]

For South African rugby fans, the current Super 15 log isn’t the most pleasant thing to look at. The Stormers do lie in “third” place but their inability to secure bonus points, with just one thus far, has seen the Blues move above them, meaning they are behind the Sharks’ eight ball. That’s because the […]

AmaBhunu bangabantu. iBhunu ngumuntu ngabantu … and they too have rights under our Constitution and the Freedom Charter. Tata Madiba said in 1994 that “never again will we be at war with one another”, why chant about killing and shooting? Is the bank of our history so bankrupt that we have to dig deep into […]