News/Politics

Isn’t it astounding? That a man who incites people to murder and violence, who uses hate speech and insults senior members of his party is still around and playing a prominent political role in the ruling party, nogal? Indeed, most people can’t seem to fathom what lies behind Jacob Zuma’s limp excuses for the outrageous, […]

Submitted by Setumo Stone A question has been posed: What are the leadership qualities of Jacob Zuma? Many would attempt to answer this question by reciting the theoretical bull-dust of 3 Rs, 9 Cs, 7Ps of leadership etc. Rather than defining reality and context, these highly intellectual formulae often describe and depict an “ideal” personality […]

South Africa, since the birth of democracy, has enjoyed an uninterrupted record of “free and fair” elections. In all three instances in 1994, 1999 and 2004, there has never been a challenge of the election results. In these elections the ANC was assured of victory and never had a formidable challenge. The 2009 elections may […]

Weekend newspapers including City Press and Rapport were alleging that the African National Congress had instructed the SABC to feature the ANC president Jacob Zuma more than the national president Kgalema Motlanthe and to make the latter seem less presidential. If this is true I’d like to meet the genius who came up with it. […]

On stage before the velvet drop, three men hidden by your hips, instrumental ciphers — double bass, guitar, drums — they strum; you stroll and roll your eyes. Say them slow — Saar-tjie Baart-man, Jo-se-phine Ba-ker, Grace Al-mighty Jones — the old flesh over new bones, that puzzling Three-in-One. Pray for us, Miriam, pray for […]

A picture of Nelson Mandela flashed up on the screen situated at the front of the Democratic Alliance’s gathering at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg and was instantly met with a roar of approval from those gathered there. In that instance I realised why I have always had the highest regard for the leaders and members of […]

A war criminal has been presiding over the catastrophic economic meltdown since the Great Depression. He has caused untold misery not only to his people by pursuing destructive economic policies, but to foreign nationals as well during his protracted murderous campaign. On September 20 2001, in the wake of the devastating attacks on the World […]

I have been most curious to find out how the Zuma government intend tackling the problem of unemployment, given its populist rhetoric and what we know to be empty promises to the poor. Jacob Zuma has come out to outline exactly how his government intends dealing with the scourge of unemployment. A problem we all […]

This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: ANC against Cope’s name: Spoiling tactics or legitimate politics?

I hold no particular candle for Bantu Holomisa or his party. I’m sure he doesn’t even know who I am. The comment piece below is from this morning’s Cape Times, and, while it patently does not advocate as harsh anti-voting views as mine, it is, I think, enlightening in what it discloses about the Independent […]

The dirty face of politics in Africa is the abnormal fixation on sharing rather than distributing responsibilities in managing the resources and the sovereignty of states. This seems to be the main underlying problem in the current Zimbabwe impasse, for instance. The same is still true of Kenya, and other hot spots in the continent. […]