The previous decade was rough, at many levels. This new decade, the 2010s, brings some hope. However, the risks remain on the upside — politically, globally, personally and so on. The 1990s were said to be a lost decade — Adam Roberts thinks the 2010s might be “decadent”. The Americans are suggesting that this decade […]
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Posted inGeneral
From legislated oppression to legalised exploitation
I note the extent to which the talks around ownership to the vuvuzela have since degraded to the shallow, and shudder with remorse as to how Africans continue to be accomplices in the death of their own destiny. But frankly, I couldn’t care less about who owns the vuvuzela concept, but rather about justice being […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Coping beyond mere personalities
Just as I was drafting the final instalment of my reflections on the state of the Congress of the People (Cope) one year after its much celebrated launch, the party took the wind from under my sails. Luckily I was not the only one, as the party simultaneously dealt a blow to its Youth Movement […]
Posted inGeneral
How serious is the ANC on crime?
The South African public are inundated by calls for crimes to be overlooked, forgiven or — in some cases — not to be considered crimes at all. Unsurprisingly, the vast mast majority of these emanate from those at the very heart of power in this country. The number of judges, correctional services officials, politicians and […]
Posted inGeneral
Rating the SA Super 14 contenders and pretenders
The Bulls: Take probably the best provincial/regional team ever assembled, lose probably the best winger of the last five years, add two returning heroes, plus Heyneke Meyer back pulling the backroom strings and what do you get? A very likely repeat. Fatigue is the only realistic barrier to yet another year of Blue domination. Well […]
Posted inGender violence
Why women say no to sex
I had a horrible flashback yesterday of this terrible sociology course that I took while at university. The course material and lecturer were stimulating enough, and the course was focused on gender, so it was really right up my alley. However, each session my temperature and the acerbity of my tone would slowly rise as […]
Posted inGeneral
Zapiro cartoon on justice system is justified
The outrage expressed by Numsa at the latest Zapiro cartoon in the Mail & Guardian fails to take into account the extreme nature of the circumstances giving rise to its conception. If it had done so it should have been hard-pressed to condemn it as “distasteful” and “deplorable”. As things stand, we are witnessing an […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Schabir, Eugene and the president
Speculation has reached runaway-fire proportions that Schabir Shaik and Eugene de Kock are about to walk. Shaik has applied for a presidential pardon. This has been confirmed. The state president had a meeting with incarcerated De Kock, it is alleged and it could well be true. Meanwhile, the DA has submitted to Parliament a “private […]
Posted inLifestyle
That’s not a real job
A job is a job is a job is a job some might say — as long as you bring in the dollareuroyenpounds to pay the bills. Not quite. Try rent a house, open a new account or get a loan where you have to write down “musician” next to occupation. Although the look on […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Shaik, sabre-rattling and rolling
So it would appear, according to the media and opposition mouthpieces at least, that the president is all but set to grant Schabir Shaik a presidential pardon. At least that is what the opposition allege and the media are not too shy to fan that particular flame. And why not? Zuma and Shaik are circulation […]
Posted inGeneral
The West Bank and Israel: Reasons for cautious optimism
Good news is no news would seem to be the case when it comes to the international media’s reporting on the Middle East. This would seem to be particularly true of the Israeli-Palestinian conundrum, where it is rare to read anything beyond the usual head-shaking reports on poverty, repression, violence and general hopelessness (especially when […]
Posted inLifestyle
Your identity: What do memories make of you?
It was the most awesome T-shirt I had ever seen. A funky deep purple dye and a cartoon of a drunken cat on the front. Thirteen years old, I stared at in gobsmacked delight. Gimme! The cat was all starry-eyed with a wasted grin on his face and he was lying inside a whiskey bottle. […]