News/Politics

Earlier in this year, Denmark’s media came out as one person, reprinting the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. Underlying the decision to reprint these pictures, they say, is the defence of democratic rights. Let’s look at this more closely. On 12 February 2008, three men were arrested (two Tunisians and a Danish national) on suspicion […]

As Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and Nigerians are burnt, hacked, shot and beaten to death; as our country’s international stature is decimated; as thousands crowd police stations, churches and other places for safe harbour; as families are torn apart; there’s the profound realisation. This is our collective moment of shame. This is a point in history where we will be asked: “What did you do?”

My Zimbabwean PhD student won’t go with me to the demonstration outside Parliament tonight because he would have to go back to Bellville on the train and he’s heard stories of someone who’s in hospital now from having been beat up on the train. My Zimbabwean friends who work in town just got warned that […]

Submitted by David Drew The xenophobic racism spreading like a disease across South Africa may have myriad causes, but at its core, the ugly truth is that it exposes a predisposition to bigotry that we all potentially share. It is the same “button” that has been pushed by despots, dictators, religious leaders, politicians and criminals […]

We, of all people, should welcome immigrants. We should thank them for thinking our country worth making a new life in. We are the rainbow nation. Or aren’t we?

He’s on his way to win his party’s candidature to the White House. Rhetoric or not, there’s definitely more enthusiasm in the body politic in America since Barack Obama’s appearance on the Presidential battle scene. The man might have a better way of warming the hearts of disillusioned voters than Hillary Clinton, he might have […]

Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has threatened to behead gays unless they leave the country. He claims that Gambia is a country of believers and that these practices are sinful and immoral. Whatever your beliefs this much is true — an African head of state is proposing, as acceptable conduct, that members of his community, be […]

I know I will probably get shot down in flames (rhetorical ones of course) for admitting this. But, reading the terrible headlines of the last week, hearing South Africa make the only international story on yesterday’s 12 noon radio news, following online exchanges between South Africans discussing whether or not they have a contingency plan […]

Cutting a precious stone after it has been split is a skilful task. Experts call it faceting. It simply means cutting faces on the stone so that its beauty may be better appreciated. Without this skilful art, the depth and the sparkle and the translucent loveliness of the stone will never appear. This, in part, […]

Xenophobia and crime, like everything else in South Africa, can be brought under control relatively quickly if the necessary desire exists at government level. Unfortunately, in too many areas this does not appear to be the case. Statistics guiding the government have, for a long while now, confirmed that supporting Mugabe destabilises the region and […]