If ever the media is to speed up the socio-cultural transformation of South African society, this will not be brought about by the perpetuation of race-based thinking. We now have popular magazine Drum launching the “Darling Awards” to “celebrate black excellence”. The much vaunted event is planned for November 7 at Birchwood Estate in Boksburg. […]
General
Posted inGeneral
SA’s deeply flawed young middle class
Almost 20 years after South Africa’s miraculous democratic transformation, we, the young “middle-class”, find ourselves to be the emerging leaders of this nation, and in a somewhat of a rut. Black, white, coloured, Indian it doesn’t matter. Race isn’t the discriminating factor as it was all those years ago. We have either grown up with […]
Posted inGeneral
One Young World summit a ‘blast’
By Sungani Phiri The world’s biggest youth summit kicked off in Johannesburg on Wednesday October 2. Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan opened the One Young World Summit with an inspiring speech which focused on change, education and leadership. This year’s panel included some great minds in business, media, leadership and entertainment. Among those […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle, News/Politics
The braai or shisa nyama is not heritage
By Unéné Gregory We brand our beautiful country as a rainbow nation, one with people of various backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities. We are a country unlike any other and one of the days to acknowledge our diversity and actively learn about one another is Heritage Day. Formerly celebrated only in KwaZulu-Natal as King Shaka day our […]
Posted inGeneral
The politics of the white male penis
I recently watched Lawrence Barraclough’s two interesting documentaries on white men and penis size. The first one “My Penis and I” chronicles Barraclough and his personal struggle with a tiny three inch (erect) penis and follows his journey as he considers having penis enlargement surgery. The second documentary, “My Penis and Everyone Else’s”, follows up […]
Posted inGender violence, General
The South African man I admire most
This is the man I admire most in South Africa right now. I know his name, but I won’t tell it to you. All you need to know is that he is a 50-something white Afrikaner from the West Rand, an engineer who drives a nice car and has a good job. He is straight […]
Posted inEnvironment, General
Is there a crisis of credibility in the human sciences?
On a previous occasion I elaborated on the growing natural scientific evidence that the world is at “Red Alert” status regarding a looming ecological crisis. The question arises, whether the human sciences (humanities and social sciences) are in agreement with their natural science colleagues on this issue. In light of the incontrovertible evidence in this […]
Posted inGeneral
Braaing on Heritage Day
Is it OK to call Heritage Day Braai Day? I’m a feral academic who works in advertising, which means that debates like this are especially interesting to me. I wrote my thesis on the role of advertising in post-apartheid South African identity, and nothing crystallises the arguments over exactly what we stand for quite like […]
Posted inGeneral, Health
Beware the angry ordinary man!
I took an unusual step two days ago. I started a petition against Discovery Health, the administrators of Discovery Medical Aid. I have good reason to be angry, but it seems being angry, as I and so many other doctors, dentists and other health professionals are, is not enough. I am fighting for the right […]
Posted inEnvironment, Equality, Gender violence, General, Health, Lifestyle, Media, News/Politics
Living in constant fear
ON Thursday 19 September, South Africans heard why this remains a country where its people are still living in constant fear. Two decades of African National Congress self-interest and bungling have failed to curb crime, despite the asinine claptrap with which SA’s minister of police Nathi Mthethwa insulted the country. Millions of ordinary South Africans […]
Posted inGeneral
Letter to the ANC from a black ‘born free’
My name is Malaika Mahlatsi, better known as Malaika Wa Azania. I am a 21-year-old woman residing in the township of Dobsonville in Soweto. I am non-partisan, though a few months ago I had a short stint with the Economic Freedom Fighters – an organisation I served efficiently in the very short period of time […]
Posted inGeneral
Paedophilia, paranoia and becoming strangers to our children
I stroll through the Now We Are Six woods not far from my home in Birkdale, Auckland. Any second Piglet will bounce out. I shall ask him, ‘What day is it today?’ Piglet will squeak, “It’s today.’ And I shall exclaim: ‘My favourite day!’ The streams are laced throughout Auckland suburbia, with bridges over them and thickets […]