Dali Mpofu, the CEO and “editor-in-chief” of the SABC, has lashed out at members of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) for “pretending to be converted to foreign, frigid and feelingless freedoms”. The issue that provoked Mpofu’s outrage was the Sunday Times‘s reliance on the right to freedom of expression in defence of its […]
News/Politics
Posted inNews/Politics
Crossing a line
It’s that time of the year again — floor-crossing season. Well, that time, every two years, actually, when MPs are — for reasons still elusive to me — allowed to throw out of the window their commitment to their political party (some say their honour) and happily join ranks with those who were their political […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Parliament of whores?
The American writer, satirist and humorist PJ O’Rourke wrote a book entitled Parliament of Whores (1991) — apparently a caricature of the government of the United States. I must confess that I have never read the book although I fully intend to in the near future. Since about two weeks ago, the phrase “parliament of […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The coming war
Rumours are ablaze of an imminent attack on Iran by the United States. It seems that everyone has decided that the question isn’t if America will attack Iran, but when. Writing this from somewhere a few kilometres away from both US Central Command and the al-Jazeera newsroom, the spectre of war is very real. The […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A life of service
There are many people who contributed to our liberation in South Africa and, unfortunately, so many of these people are being unnoticed or unacknowledged. Maybe the reason is that, once we achieved our liberation, some people stepped aside to let others lead. Others decided to get involved in local communities and shy away from the […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Dali gets surreal
I’m beginning to think there’s something in the water at the SABC. Statements by Dali Mpofu, the chief executive and, ahem, editor-in-chief, make me wonder if it’s not lead. Mpofu’s latest letter breaking up with the South African National Editors’ Forum is a lesson in how to write with drama, emotion, exaggeration and delusion. So […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics, Tech
Trusting Wikipedia: a sea change
Here’s an interesting development. Long and acrimonious battles have been fought over the question, “Can you trust Wikipedia?” Now, at last, there’s a new answer to this question.
Posted inNews/Politics
Get off Mbeki’s back!
On Friday I watched a ton of tourists taking pictures of Madiba’s statue in Sandton City: an imposing tribute to the man British columnist John Carlin calls “the president of humanity”. I may also have noticed one or two stunning blondes but that was only because they were walking between me and the amateur photographers. […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics, Tech
Crowdsourcing the campaign
In 2004, the Howard Dean campaign in the United States blazed the way in taking the election campaign online. Dean not only raised more than anyone else online, but more importantly also pioneered the use of the internet to gather and mobilise support both online and in real life. Since then we’ve seen social media […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The ‘unique relationship’
Turkey’s newly elected President, Abdullah Gul, has confirmed that he attaches the highest priority to forging even closer ties with Pakistan. Gul, whose Justice and Development Party has Islamist roots, is causing concern among secularists and the military, who for their part have in the past pushed democracy aside to defend Turkish secularism. While Gul […]
Posted inGeneral, Media, News/Politics
Curiouser and curiouser …
Curious report just out on Reuters: Johannesburg (Reuters) — South Africa has denied it blamed Britain for Zimbabwe’s isolation in a report prepared for a regional summit earlier this month. The office of President Thabo Mbeki denied that the government produced a report on Zimbabwe critical of Britain before Mbeki briefed leaders of the Southern […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
From the Prophet Muhammad to Manto Tshabalala-Msimang: some thoughts on press freedom
Eighteen months ago, Judge Mohammed Jajbhay ruled that the Prophet Muhammad’s right to privacy outweighed the right to freedom of expression, and interdicted the Sunday Times from publishing cartoons of the prophet. This week, the same judge delivered a ringing endorsement of media freedom, made a decisive statement against censorship, and rejected the health minister’s […]