Whatever happened to the African renaissance? I thought that shifting priorities, not to mention last year’s xenophobic violence, had long since consigned it to the dustbin of history, as a catchphrase anyhow. Just when it seemed that we were to hear of it no more, here’s the man, who started it all, going on about […]
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Posted inGeneral
Thoughts in the wake of Africa Day
Monday was Africa Day. It’s a bit like Mother’s Day — once a year we remember somebody or something that is always part of our life, but far too often neglected. Kaya FM played more African music than usual (apart from what Nicky Blumenfeld plays over the weekend) and a number of newspapers ran leaders […]
Posted inGeneral
Federalism: DA wary of report that may reduce number of provinces
A report which was commissioned by former provincial and local government minister Sydney Mufamadi and which seeks to advise on the way in which provincial and local government function will be published later in the year. In an interview with the Saturday Star Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka confirmed that South Africans […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Piketberg: A mine and a metaphor for our time
A few weeks ago South Africans elected the African National Congress to yet another term as overlords of one of the most beautiful, sacred and creative lands on Earth. A land acknowledged as the “Cradle of Humankind”, where our species, homo sapiens sapiens, first ventured forth to populate and ultimately become the overlords of the […]
Posted inLifestyle
How Malema and you can help me spice up Australian sex lives
I could use Julius Malema’s help here in my battle with some undemocratic types Down Under. Boet, if you’re not doing anything particularly controversial this week or putting your foot in someone’s mouth, help me out here, please man. Those Nando’s guys will love you for it — and it’s a great way to tell […]
Posted inGeneral
Coaching South Africa
I spend some of my time coaching executives in South Africa and across Europe. I got thinking the other day what South Africa could need from a coach. I mean the whole country. Not the president — not any individual — all of us who live on this southern slab of Africa. All together — […]
Posted inMedia
Truth, lies and scepticism in the media
I approach writing that finds news media fallen from grace into the gutter with deep suspicion. There never was a golden age of journalism, and each generation feels its problems to be unique. A new book by UK journalist and documentary-maker Nick Davies about the defects of global news media has some of this, to […]
Posted inGeneral
Zille needs to understand symbolism
Helen Zille was an anti-apartheid activist who repeatedly put her life in danger in order to bring about a free, non-racist and just South Africa. In addition to exposing the truth about Steve Biko while she was still a journalist, Zille allowed the use of her home as a safe house for other activists and […]
Posted inNews/Politics
What was Cosatu thinking?
It’s very commendable for Cosatu to have gone to such great lengths to fight for workers’ rights in the Vodacom-Vodafone deal. Cosatu filed court papers opposing the transaction in which Vodafone would acquire a 15% stake in Vodacom from Telkom for a cash consideration of R22.5 billion. The transaction increases Vodafone’s shareholding in Vodacom from 50% […]
Posted inBusiness
Zuma’s balancing act: Cosatu takes on Vodacom
Immediately after the election, and referring to President Jacob Zuma selecting his first cabinet, I observed that the vested and conflicting interests of business and labour was going to be a particularly tricky political tightrope that he needed to walk. On Friday, and while we are still digesting the appointments in cabinet relating to this […]
Posted inBusiness
Keep it real
As Louis Gossett Jr advises in the Windhoek ads, “Keep it real”. When it comes to interest rates and alcohol, real is better. So forget about inflation-targeting. Let’s have a new target: a positive real interest rate of say 3%. What this simply means is that if inflation is 14% then the Reserve Bank’s influential […]
Posted inGeneral
Rugby’s top 20 coaches of all time
Stephen Jones is a Welsh journalist who has been the rugby union correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times for more than 20 years. He was twice named sports correspondent of the year by the Sports Journalists’ Association. He is noted for his controversial and often provocative views, in particular his anti-Irish and anti-New […]