The “condition” of women and girl children remains repulsive. This is an indictment to humanity as a whole, given that the overall human condition itself is precarious. In her incomparable novel, Changes, Ama Ata Aidoo brilliantly captures the critical challenges confronting females in particular — the conversations of the two main characters, Esi and Opokuya, […]
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Posted inNews/Politics
Why Simelane for the NPA?
Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos has suggested that the appointment of advocate Menzi Simelane as national director of prosecutions is “the darkest and most scandalous day yet in the short life of President [Jacob] Zuma’s tenure”. Writing two pieces on the new head of the NPA, De Vos is scathing calling Simelane “a liar” […]
Posted inGeneral
The electricity crisis: Are we making progress?
By Bryan Hadfield Some time ago, during the days of planned and unplanned load shedding, I wrote an article, published in this forum, in which I tried to throw some light on the origins of South Africa’s electricity crisis. My aim at the time was to dispel a lot of misrepresentation about the causes and […]
Posted inGeneral
A brilliant student’s work on the ecological crisis
Below, I have posted an essay written by one of my media master’s students, Carla Zdanow, for a course in the philosophy of culture. I have placed it unmodified, to give readers of TL the opportunity to see what excellent research work is being done by some students. I have another to post after this […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Are SA mercenaries assisting Guinea’s military junta?
Within a matter of weeks of Britain’s Simon Mann being granted a pardon for his part in a foiled 2004 coup attempt on Equatorial Guinea (which included a number of our guys), South Africans are once again being linked to mercenary activity. This time the allegations relate to Guinea where they are purportedly training soldiers […]
Posted inLifestyle
Embarrassing surnames
One can only pity the wretched rugby commentator in straight-laced 1930s New Zealand who, on reading the Springbok team list, was confronted with the name “Ebbo Bastard”. “This one, I think we’ll call Smith”, was what he actually said in the end. In a previous post, I recounted my ordeal over once having to ask […]
Posted inGeneral
Africa deserves better leaders
This whole world, especially the African continent, is fast running out of leadership material. When you look around, it is very easy to see successful men and women who have “made it” in politics or business, whatever that means. In fact, the number of people, especially in the African community, who have made it in […]
Posted inGeneral
The endemic culture of blame-shifting and victimhood
There exists a disturbing phenomenon in our country where no one person appears to be eager to assume responsibility for their individual deeds. The culture of blame shifting and victimhood is so deeply entrenched in the fibre of society that none of us appear willing to account for our individual actions, nor do we muster […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Phansi Xenophobia Phansi!!!
My peace was interrupted this morning by the xenophobia being peddled by some twit in a suit on television. Now while the SABC is free to choose whom they invite to appear as experts on any particular matter, the fact is that getting a dude who claims to be the shadow deputy minister of defence […]
Posted inLifestyle
Curiosity: A new coping strategy for the modern world?
In a world where things are happening faster, change is the only constant, and the rate of change is itself increasing, it seems only sensible to assess the effects that this fast-paced, communications-enhanced lifestyle might be having on how we live, work and socialise today. You do not need to look far to see the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Kaalgat pseudo-liberalism and the Polanski affair
The late Irving Kristol once defined a liberal as someone who, upon witnessing a fourteen-year-old girl engaging in a live sex act, worries about whether she is getting the minimum wage. It was the same Kristol who described a neo-conservative as a liberal who has been “mugged by reality”. Kristol himself is widely regarded as […]
Posted inLifestyle
Even the Taliban would’ve found it funny
After telling me where he was from, he grunts and looks the other way, nostrils flared as he pretends to admire the scenery. Of course, through the crowded wig-wagging of bodies, there was nothing to see. I peer at him and he reminds me of something I had seen on National Geographic. That thing about […]