Wooosshh! I upended the large bin and hundreds of colourful Lego-like blocks and bally-shaped thingies scattered across the floor in front of the delighted Chinese four-year-olds that I am currently teaching. The floor was now a rainbow that had come crashing and splintering down from the heavens. “Pick up the green,” I roared, “the green, […]
General
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Cloud-based telephony saves R400k in a move
When we adopted cloud-based telephony for our own communications in 2009 it was more than just a show of good faith. We were mindful of the fact that all organisations go through major changes, so it was with a view to accommodate future growth and displacement that we adopted cloud. Nothing stays the same Out […]
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Tales from a mine shaft
Ever since I was a child many people – young and old – from my village have worked in the mines, from uncles, cousins to friends. One thing remains common, despite their hard work digging precious metals, they have very little to show in monetary terms. They come home at end of the year with […]
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Farewell, my queen, farewell greed
The French Revolution, triggered by the storming of the Bastille in 1789, was an “event” in Badiou’s sense of a history-changing occurrence made possible by a large number of individuals acting in concert to achieve a certain goal. This event is vividly brought to life – albeit from a distance – in Benoit Jacquot’s wonderfully […]
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Proteas reach the promised land
South Africa became the No 1 Test side in the world following their victory at Lords which gave the Proteas a 2-0 series victory over England. Vernon Philander, who has bowled far better on this tour than his figures would suggest, came to the fore in picking up five wickets in the second innings through […]
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Lonmin tragedy exposes the farce of a transformed police force
The killing of more than 30 mineworkers by police on Thursday is a watershed in post-apartheid policing and politics. Whatever the challenges confronting police in the face of an agitated and armed group of workers, the numbers of miners killed seems to reflect an action that seriously transgresses the limits of a reasonable response. The […]
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Commissioner Baai — gone too soon
It’s heart-wrenching to lose someone who led a true cause, especially since it involved ensuring poor people have access to basic food. More so when we live in a world where those who have the power to change things show little or no regard for vulnerable sections of our society. Gladstone Sandi Baai was a […]
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The rainbow’s back
Mark August 14 2012 as a significant day in South African history because at a most remarkable meeting held in Botrivier on that day, the institutional process of Theewaterskloof (TWK) local government truly engaged, for the first time ever, with the Botrivier community process of democratic participation in the practical matters of local government. After […]
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These people deserve to be first against the wall
“When I am king you will be first against the wall,” intones Thom Yorke of Radiohead in Paranoid Android. Well, when I’m president and queen of the universe as well as boss of everyone, I will propose that the following people be put up against a wall and shot at dawn for egregious, inconsiderate and […]
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Spies injury a blessing in disguise
A hand injury, ruling Pierre Spies out of the Rugby Championship, might have been bad news to Heyneke Meyer and his coaching staff, but for many Springbok fans out there, it was not. Fans certainly don’t wish any ill-will on the Bulls No 8, who is reportedly an extremely likeable person, but following the Super […]
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Team SA did us proud
The London Olympics have come and gone, and while the sports world is readjusting to a world without them, for South Africa it has been the most successful Games since readmission. Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh have rightly been lauded for their efforts in the pool, but a knowledgeable number of people […]
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Why we need electoral reform
By Ntombenhle Khathwane In the recent weeks, news headlines have been dominated by the textbook saga in Limpopo and Eastern Cape. This happens a few months before the ANC policy conference, during which it would be expected that the ruling party would discuss how to make its time in government more efficient. Although this was […]