News/Politics

The official opposition has called for the upcoming general elections to be scrapped and for them to be replaced with Politics Idols – a singing competition with one singer participating from each political party. This comes after Helen Zille’s stirring performance (accompanied with spirited boogieing) of Never give up, the DA’s new anticrime song, outside […]

Submitted by Cynthia Ayeza Mutabaazi Who decides what is potential leadership for the continent and in what context does one then choose a leader for people? I realise that we are living in a time when the potential for leadership on this continent is great. In fact every living person has the potential to lead […]

Africa’s illustrious uncle, Robert Mugabe, has perfected the art of political survival using the time-honoured tactic of divide and rule. Mugabe’s most precious lifeline was waking up on the morning of October 12 2005 to the news that the MDC had split into two formations. It was sweet music to his ears. Morgan Tsvangirai should […]

Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” yet we see those charged with the daunting task of educating and moulding the leadership of future generations reneging on their burden of responsibility by choosing to rather devote their time to politics. The South African Democratic Teachers’ […]

While most of us have been wondering whether John McCain will be able to remember, let alone find, the White House should he win the presidency, Barrack Obama has been out there making Senator Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic vice-presidential nominee. Biden, a three-term Senator from Delaware, himself a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination […]

This post was originally written in August 2008. Things have moved quite rapidly since then. South Africa is now a member of the Brics group of countries, and there is a significant improvement in, at least, the relationship among member-countries. The basic points I made about the Brics remain relevant. So let me tighten up […]

A particular section of the Afrikaner community and some members of other white groupings appear to be suffering from chronic paranoia of everything related to transformation. While they recognise the indubitable truth that apartheid established gross imbalances in our society, they consider themselves under threat of measures intended to correct such imbalances. Their views do […]

The more argument that is presented to justify closing down the Scorpions the less convincing the proponents become. I’d like to simplify it with a few short questions: www.mg.co.za/article/2008-08-22-key-affidavit-used-to-smear-scorpions Firstly, if for example the CIA, FBI, DIA, MI5, MI6 or any other unit was under investigation for politicking or otherwise, do you think the governments […]

A recent series of photographs, a medium which is close to my heart, published in the United States illustrates the ways in which the military, militarism and war have become central and defining features of the imagery surrounding the 2008 presidential elections. One of my absolute favourite blogs, BagnewsNotes, (which, incidentally, renders my own analyses […]

The United States’ continued preoccupation with Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran has opened a window of opportunity for Russia to win back some of her global influence and prestige. Since August 7 she has flung Georgia out of South Ossetia and crossed the border, entered into a new arrangement with Syria, threatened to return to Cuba, […]

This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: Sword killing: Are we failing our children?