The deep rumbles of discontent that have exploded into violence and property destruction teach us clearly that the government has not, exactly, succeeded in speaking to the people. Instead, it urgently needs to address its messages to the people who put it into power. It was none other than the minister of cooperative governance and […]
Media
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Floyd’s right about partisan journalism
My intuitive connection to friends, rivals, enemies and colleagues in the media tells me that many of the powerful ones will curse me after they have read this piece. After all, this is not intended to protect them against the onslaught by ANC Youth League’s Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu. As I understand after many […]
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Cope congress postponed indefinitely
The war between Lekota and Shilowa forced the Congress Working Committee emergency meeting last night to cancel the May 29 Cope conference altogether. Speaking at an emergency press briefing at noon today the party’s embattled secretary-general, Charlotte Lobe, said: “We can’t go to conference in this state. These guys must sort themselves before we go […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
It’s time to #SpeakZA
For some time I have purposely not said anything about Malema. I think he gets wayyyy too much press as it is. He’s everywhere and I am sick of him and his utter stupidity in my PC, my TV and in my radio. So I kept quiet about him, not wanting to feed to his […]
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Tribute to a less famous Coetzee
The ANCYL’s unsubstantiated claims about hypocritical journalists certainly ring completely hollow in relation to the life and work of David Coetzee.
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
SpeakZA: Can Jacob Zuma be called an apie?
I am echoing the old debate where Eugene Terre’blanche referred to a statue of Chief Tshwane as an “apie”. For the record, I do not think he is ape-like at all (Jacob, not Eugene; I find Eugene slightly simian). I actually do not even wish to talk explicitly about Jacob Zuma, but about freedom of […]
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SpeakZA: The free press will never die
The name Zanu-PF used to be synonymous with liberation as was the ANC. It used to stand for the high ideals of fighting oppression at great cost to those who lead the fight. Across the globe, liberated, free-thinking societies and the media institutions that represented their views stood by Zanu-PF as they have stood by […]
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Supporting (limits to) media freedom
Zuma has received his award as Newsmaker of the Year for 2009. Not surprising, given last year’s events: a mixed bag, with the withdrawal of corruption charges, his election to the presidency, the launch of the presidential hotline and controversial appointments of a new chief justice, national director of public prosecutions and national police commissioner, […]
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Never run out of petrol in Libode
We’re in Libode and it doesn’t look good. There isn’t enough in the tank to get us to Mthatha, which is worrying because we’ve been driving up and down pretty much every muddy, rutted track that passes for a road here and there’s no sign of a petrol station. There’s an Absa, a Pep, even […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media, News/Politics
Mr Siphiwe Nyanda, what is your secret?
Dear Mr Nyanda It has come to my attention that you and I share a common interest. We like to rock overpriced hotels on someone else’s dime. Please don’t tell anyone this, but the way I do it is to convince large multinationals that if they want to sell truckloads of their products they […]
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West Wing tips for Zuma’s spin doctors
One of the most irksome tasks that many governments around the world loath and execute badly is how to deal with crisis communications in the face of scandal involving high-ranking politicians such as a head of state. Armchair critics of how government functions in these critical times fail to grasp the fact that no PR […]