General

By Michael de Vries South African cricket is going through a “golden period”, if the hype is to be believed then our national team has not had this much quality and depth in the post-isolation era. It’s great for those who never stopped believing. Kepler, Hansie and Polly’s teams were impressive but could never seem […]

The world we live in remains a disturbingly dangerous and very fragile place, largely because of our own making. Amin Maalouf opens his provocative book, In the Name of Identity, with an analogy that may be worth reproducing for this polemic. Maalouf talks of “a young man born in France of Algerian parents clearly carries […]

Describing the East Rand as the heart and soul of South Africa, “crammed with spectacular natural beauty and cultural sophistication”, the Sunday Times notes that the first sign that greets foreign visitors at OR Tambo International Airport is a warm welcome to — wait for it — the Ekurhuleni municipality. “No mention of South Africa, […]

When he was only 12, William Ernest Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone. Eventually his left foot had to be amputated just below the knee. He spent many years in and out of hospital because the disease also infected his right foot, but he refused to have it amputated as well. He was eventually discharged […]

The reassurance that the city of Tshwane is not, like the Freedom Front Plus would have us believe, mayorless after all was temporary and, unfortunately, highlighted a more disconcerting reality. The disconcerting reality is not, however, the fact that Dr Ramokgopa was retained as executive mayor of the worst-performing metropolitan municipality in the country — […]

After 15 years of evading the demon of tribalism, we the minorities of South Africa have been shamed for our parochial outlook and ethnic enclaves by the new Pick n Pay advert. In line with their new branding, Pick n Pay has released new television adverts which drive the message that Pick n Pay is […]

The England and Wales Cricket Board recently pulled off a coup through the passing of the New Home Office laws. The laws were sought by England’s cricket administrators as a means of fighting the “scourge” of Kolpak cricketers plying their trade in the County Championship. Now, with this coming from the BBC Sport website: “Only […]

It is a constant refrain heard in South Africa that the Zulus and the “black” Africans come from the north. This “fact” is so skewed in the way in which it is used and is poorly understood by most so I wish to clarify a few points about the arrival of the Bantu-speaking Africans in […]

By Lesedi Dibakwane South Africans are passionate about their sport. Naturally our football over the past few weeks has evoked an outpouring of emotions and stirred up great debate. There has been chatter about our lack of quality on the field and a general displeasure with any suggestion that we lack the relevant experience off […]

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Liverpool dug deep on Sunday and got a win over their friends from down the road. And while they were at it, their fans also gave Michael Owen the sort of reception befitting a bomb terrorist … But, these things happen. Owen must have expected it, and from the […]

They say God created alcohol to prevent the Irish from taking over the world, which is true in the sense that they never bothered to colonise anything. Yet, if you look at this country of over 6 million souls, it is one of the most successful exporters of culture in the world. Most cities in the […]

I have a, perhaps unnatural or irrational, aversion to the idea of tolerance. I think it might be semantic or sociolinguistic in its origin, but I remember expressing during my stay in the US last year that I hate the word tolerance. The admission came during the home-stay period of our visit to the States […]