Describing the East Rand as the heart and soul of South Africa, “crammed with spectacular natural beauty and cultural sophistication”, the Sunday Times notes that the first sign that greets foreign visitors at OR Tambo International Airport is a warm welcome to — wait for it — the Ekurhuleni municipality. “No mention of South Africa, […]
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Posted inGeneral
The people shall be governed
The reassurance that the city of Tshwane is not, like the Freedom Front Plus would have us believe, mayorless after all was temporary and, unfortunately, highlighted a more disconcerting reality. The disconcerting reality is not, however, the fact that Dr Ramokgopa was retained as executive mayor of the worst-performing metropolitan municipality in the country — […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Budgeting with the gorillas
There is some confusion over whether the idiom should be a “600-pound gorilla” or the much larger “800-pound” creature. The usage also differs with some using it as a form of praise for companies that have dominant positions in markets, and others using the idiom to describe a difficult situation, which is not being addressed. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
ANC must learn to tolerate criticism
The wise words of former chief justice Pius Langa at a Press Freedom Day function last Monday highlighted the importance of freedom of expression. There are many in our society who do not understand this freedom and its responsibility. There is a need to be patient and tirelessly remind them of the dark days when […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Let’s jerk off to climate change
If you haven’t blogged, made a poster, built a sand castle or ran naked through the streets screaming “the climate changers are coming”, then you’re quite a tough cookie aren’t you? If you haven’t switched off the lights and sat in the dark or considered organic eggs or experimented with recycled bath water in your […]
Posted inNews/Politics
We remain obsessed with racism
I have to admit that I did not read the report on which the Cape Times based its “Cape Town is a racist city — study” banner headline last Thursday (October 22 2009). I did try to get a copy of the report, commissioned by the Employment Equity Programme and conducted by Sabie Surtee and […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, News/Politics
Hey, Zuma, you can’t buy your way out of this one, old chap
Almost from the moment the rag-tag gaggle of erstwhile freedom fighters took over the reins of power — and, boy, did they love that power, like a kid who had just got his driver’s licence and was put behind the wheel of a Ferrari — they realised that, even under someone of the statesmanship and […]
Posted inGeneral
Copenhagen debate heats up
The lead up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit this December is not looking particularly promising. The world is split into two camps and in the past few months they have both been drastically lowering what can be expected from them in December. On the industrialised nation front, the European Union has come out and said […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The creativity of terror
We’ve all seen those videos on the news where Osama bin Laden speaks, delivering messages about blowing stuff up, the evilness of this or that person, calling this nation or that nation the scourge of the planet and threatening them with a painful death and imminent destruction. The ones that really set his place in […]
Posted inGeneral
World Cup lessons from South Korea
Despite the recent hysteria, there was much to admire about Joel Santana who took the plunge by taking the reins of a national team (for the first time) which had the added responsibility of hosting the 2010 World Cup. Despite a shaky start to his tenure 18 months ago, Bafana Bafana found their feet under […]
Posted inGeneral
Is your Facebook also twittering with gorgeous, ‘anonymous’ gals?
To be honest, I am glad Facebook and Twitter are not available in China. I believe there are “vays und means” to get through via proxies but agh, it is just the waste of time that gets me. I would rather be working on my various book projects, studying Chinese or pouring myself a vodka […]
Posted inLifestyle
Germany’s green energy revolution
There has been a lot of noise lately regarding renewable energy and the lead up to the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed an executive order to increase California’s renewable energy mix to 30% by 2020. He has finally managed to prove there is something more bizarre than a bodybuilding governor […]