News/Politics

When the ANC launched its elections manifesto recently, two senior South African politicians (Zille from that party of the rich and arrogant and the other, Trevor Manuel, from the ANC — monopoly capital’s new kid on the block) expressed their concern for this supposedly “left turn” of Zuma’s party. Now, it must be said: the […]

“Amid growing speculation that Zuma plans to ‘spill the beans’ about former president Thabo Mbeki’s role in the arms deal, [Fikile] Mbalula said: “Zuma never started the arms deal. The arms deal was started by someone who was ANC president.” The ANC moved quickly to squash suggestions that one of Zuma’s allies’ strategies would spill […]

Officially, at least, the war on Gaza is on hold, with one unilateral ceasefire following another. For now, a large number of Israeli troops remain on Palestinian territory, having been given a week by Hamas to retreat. World leaders have gathered in Egypt to pontificate. Obama becomes America’s next president later today. It’s anyone’s guess […]

During my three-month hiatus from blogging, I received hundreds of emails from readers. This is the summary of what you had to say: 1. If you don’t update the Silwane Files soon, I will have no choice but slit my wrists. [Just do it.] 2. I hope you are busy with your divorce because I […]

Let me state unequivocally from the outset that I fully supported Israel’s operations in Gaza. I have no doubt whatever that these were both justified and necessary given more than three years of almost constant missile attacks against its citizens, that Israel acted throughout with commendable restraint and that Hamas, through its cowardly and despicable […]

On 4 November 2008, I was one of hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the United States working to ensure Barack Obama’s election. In anticipation of Tuesday’s inauguration, here’s my account of that day. After an exhilarating 24-hour stretch, I crawled into bed on the following morning with an ache in my left leg and […]

As Israel’s genocidal aggression increases in Gaza, the lie of who broke the cease-fire is spun over and over across the world. Of course, the lie is manufactured in Tel Aviv, but the silence of the Arab bourgeoisie, especially Egypt, has the same credibility as the confessions of a liar. On November 4 2008 Israel […]

ANC members in particular and Eastern Cape residents in general must be a dumb lot, to leave their daily chores to listen to ANC leader Jacob Zuma delivering “empty promises”. This will bring them nothing but penury and suffering as a result of decreased investor confidence, inflation and lack of entrepreneurial incentives such as tax […]

In light of the Mail & Guardian’s article “ANC’s plan to save Zuma” I’d like to do a short recap of my reading on the ANC president Jacob Zuma’s legal situation and then a brief analysis of what this latest news means. It is important to read the M & G article before going through […]

The hip-hop world has a term “(player) hater”; this refers to one who gets by on hate, malice and envy. A hater doesn’t aspire to be as rich/famous as the object of his envy, the “player”, but rather to bring his nemesis down to his level and, if he can’t, drag his name and reputation […]