Zimbabwe’s harmonised election, which saw presidential, senatorial, parliamentary and local government elections being held simultaneously, took place peacefully on March 29 2008. This watershed plebiscite was anticipated to be a poll that would radically change the political landscape of this troubled country. More than two weeks have passed since the initial votes were cast with […]
News/Politics
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Bullard sorry, was out to lunch
I described the column over which David Bullard was fired as offensive and condescending, but given the supercilious faux-Victorian persona he’s cultivated, not all that surprising, and not worth suppressing by his dismissal or otherwise. I did not expect an apology.
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
To Thabo or not to Thabo
That is indeed the question today! Except for showing the confusion among the people of South Africa, this also gives us an idea of the fickle state of the South African media. Unfortunately, media reports often form public opinion and therefore influence thinking among our people. Post-Polokwane saw massive public sympathy for Thabo Mbeki due […]
Posted inNews/Politics
From China, with love
Seventy-seven tonnes of guns, mortars and other rubbish is lying in Durbs harbour — ready to be shipped to Zim. From China, with love. It makes me sick; it makes me want to vomit, cry, shout, kick, and scream. It really wants to make me hurt someone. Really bad. And for a non-aggressive person, that […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zimbabwe: Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
When Mugabe and his henchmen start spouting on about treason and fictitious requests for invasion, purportedly made by the MDC and ridiculed by the British government, then their intent is all too clear. What the electorate of Zimbabwe has taken away, Mugabe and his now illegal regime will reclaim over the dead bodies of “his […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zim behind the scenes
In the past couple of days I’ve been wondering what’s really going on behind the scenes in Zimbabwe. Many rumours have been in circulation, but I wasn’t too sure what to make of them. But now I’ve sniffed a very foul smell wafting from much further than Zimbabwe or Southern Africa — it comes all […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Hijab revolution
May 1968 was a month of revolution for France. It was a series of student protests and a general strike that caused the collapse of the De Gaulle government. The events were seen as an opportunity to shake up the “old society” and traditional morality, focusing especially on the education system and employment. And 40 […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Go, Zuma, go!
Before virtual tomatoes are flying through cyberspace and into my direction, I am not the least a JZ fan. The way he thinks about the relationships between men and women, his (in my opinion) strange ideas about HIV and showers, and the alleged corruption charges have made me very wary about this chap. However, despite […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Who will build Uhuru Highway?
The in-flight magazine on Kenyan Airways had the usual-usual. The spine of the magazine surprised: a Swahili proverb had been written on it. I cannot remember the exact wording, but it read something like: When two bulls fight, the people suffer. — Swahili proverb A subtle reminder that the political fighting in Kenya was having […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Mondli Makhanya suffers from Mbeki-ism — firing Bullard is a sign of that!
Mondli Makhanya’s paper has been among the chief opponents of Mbeki-ism, which is a tendency to fire those with whom you disagree. However, Mbeki-ism seems to have taken over the Sunday Times. Mondli beware! What Mondli did last Thursday was not only astounding but also embarrassing. How does one fire a columnist on the basis […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zille, Zillier, Zilliest
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille has been very successful at cultivating the image of a no-nonsense, straight-shooting politician who sticks to her principles — no matter what. Her party has over the years also (rightly) lambasted the ANC for covering up the arms-deal corruption and for making statements aimed at undermining the independence and […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Life’s peachy in Zim
Definition of “crisis”, according to the Webster’s dictionary: A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point / An unstable condition, as in political, social, or economic affairs, involving an impending abrupt or decisive change / An emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person’s life. Synonyms: crisis, crossroad, exigency, head, juncture, pass. […]