News/Politics

Within a matter of weeks of Britain’s Simon Mann being granted a pardon for his part in a foiled 2004 coup attempt on Equatorial Guinea (which included a number of our guys), South Africans are once again being linked to mercenary activity. This time the allegations relate to Guinea where they are purportedly training soldiers […]

My regulars know that I’m a fan of former president Thabo Mbeki and as such I thought it best that I give the rest of you the heads-up before starting this discussion. Of course that does not mean I am unaware of his faults, the worst of which was his administration’s approach to the question […]

“The Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) wants to talk to the ANC Youth League about its president Julius Malema’s insults against South African Communist Party general secretary Jeremy Cronin. It was ‘disgusted’ at the insults against Cronin, who is also the deputy minister of Transport, YCLSA spokeswoman Gugu Ndima said in a statement. […]

Those who warn of an international Jewish conspiracy or imminent Armageddon if women won’t dress modestly, struggle to get published in credible newspapers. Competition for space is fierce and the local loony claiming abduction and impregnation by randy extra-terrestrials is only rarely indulged.

My peace was interrupted this morning by the xenophobia being peddled by some twit in a suit on television. Now while the SABC is free to choose whom they invite to appear as experts on any particular matter, the fact is that getting a dude who claims to be the shadow deputy minister of defence […]

It is in fact the most difficult thing to choose the party with which one will associate; indeed it is a choice that most have not had to make, given that most of the politicians in South Africa were either born into their parties, or they were recruited at a young age, or they climbed […]

Having established itself as the de facto leader and dictator to the ruling ANC-led tripartite alliance, Cosatu is battling to come to terms with the reality that it will not always have its way in the broad church that is the ANC. With the ANC being the only ruling party in the world to house […]

Old Mutual says its investments are dictated by profit and not political considerations. The insurance giant was reacting to a call to shed its investment in the Zimbabwean company that prints the Mugabe government’s propaganda mouthpiece, The Herald newspaper. “Our investments are made for the benefit of our policyholders, meant to meet needs and expectations […]

South Africans from across the political divide who are serious about building a democracy where a free exchange of ideas is tolerated and rights of people respected must cringe and be disgusted by Fikile Mbalula’s tirade against Kader Asmal in recent weeks. To define this conduct as hate speech is an understatement. I hold no […]