News/Politics

A number of authors in various publications, print and online, have been reflecting on the state, impact and prospects of the Congress of the People (Cope). This has been particularly pronounced as the party prepares to celebrate its first anniversary in Kimberley on December 16.Various contributors to this month’s edition of The Thinker comment on […]

These animal activists, what a fuss they make about matters beyond their ken. So filled with neo-colonial, white racist presumptuousness. They arise from scoffing their Steers burgers (herds of cattle, eyes rolling at the stench of imminent slaughter, slashing and trampling in frantic but futile attempt at escape) and Kentucky Fried Chicken (a shoebox existence […]

Eugene Terre’Blanche is in trouble once again. A comment he made in Pretoria over the weekend has been reported to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) which has confirmed that it is currently with their legal services department. Terre’Blanche, leader of the fringe Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), allegedly pointed at the statue of Chief Tshwane […]

There’s a scene in the 1995 Jock of the Bushveld* film that has been seared into my memory. A messenger comes running up to the governor of the Cape and says, “News of Shaka, sir!” The governor then says, “What’s the bloody savage done now?” When I first heard of the interdict against umkhosi wokweshwama […]

Leaders come into power vowing to keep touch with the common herd and to listen to dissenting voices in pursuit of statesmanship, but the unguent of flattery is irresistible.

At a press conference to explain his response to the Ginwala Commission, a journalist asked then-president Kgalema Motlanthe to elaborate on what he meant by referring the matter of the director-general of the department of justice and constitutional development, Menzi Simelane, to the minister “in accordance with the law”. Simelane had, according to the Ginwala […]

Oh Canada, how could you? To me, you were always a byword for decency, for niceness. For reason in a world torn apart by madness. You were Colin Mochrie and Mounties and caring about the Queen (except for the Quebecois, who were so rude to poor Prince Charles recently). You managed to combine diversity and […]

Although little reported on in our press, a firestorm of controversy has been unleashed by the result of a Swiss referendum at the end of last month banning the construction of new minarets — the distinctive tall spires attached to Islamic mosques — 57.5% of the participating voters supported the proposal. Incongruous though this may […]

Is Africa advancing? This was the crisp question we asked ourselves at the Mo Ibrahim shindig in Dar es Salaam two weeks ago. The Prize Committee had been unable to select a winner this year. Time magazine put it succinctly last month: 2009 has been a bad year for governance in Africa. The prize is […]

Who’d be president? I can imagine the temptation to just push that fabled red button must get really strong for Obama at times. When he took over the Oval Office from gung-ho Dubya, the exit plan for the “War on Terror” seemed very simple. Shore up the existing Iraqi and Afghan governments, hand over more […]

The incident which took place at Tiger Wood’s home in the early hours of Friday morning could have happened to any married couple. Heated arguments followed by physical violence is so commonplace that most lower courts the world over hardly blink when these matters come before them. As a specialised criminal attorney I’m speaking from […]

Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos has suggested that the appointment of advocate Menzi Simelane as national director of prosecutions is “the darkest and most scandalous day yet in the short life of President [Jacob] Zuma’s tenure”. Writing two pieces on the new head of the NPA, De Vos is scathing calling Simelane “a liar” […]