Before going onto the blog, I invite readers to do a quick survey and answer, who finds the Zille-Malema slugfest: a) Entertaining b) Irresponsible politics c) An embarrassment for South Africa’s international image d) Stupid but harmless e) Destructive and creating rifts and resentments among races and parties f) Other (your opinion) Thanks. I first […]
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Posted inGeneral
Levelling the playing field
African football is entering a critical period — one that will determine whether the decision to host the World Cup on African soil for the first time was the correct one. Firstly, final preparations are now under way for the Confederations Cup, a tournament that will see hosts South Africa thrown into the deep-end with […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Easy to sacrifice Snuki, harder to find the perfect replacement
With the rise of the Zuma era, the SABC board has decided to ditch Snuki Zikalala as head of news. At the same time, the board itself faces the strong likelihood of being ditched. Parliament has been itching to oust it ever since Thabo Mbeki was toppled from the ANC. The board members were controversially […]
Posted inGeneral
The Special Browse Mole Report: The veiled truth within
When the Special Browse Mole Report (the report) was initially leaked to Cosatu, those implicated in clandestine activities to undermine the rule of law and overthrow the government swiftly moved to discredit the origins of the report and attempted to render its contents invalid. The SACP secretary-general, Blade Nzimande, addressed a letter of complaint to […]
Posted inNews/Politics
It takes a village to raise a species
EISH! What a tough day for humanity! With the World Health Organisation raising the global alert level to Phase 5 meaning that a worldwide pandemic of the killer H1N1 influenza virus is imminent, the world — that’s all of us — is now locked in combat with two enemies. The existing one is the global […]
Posted inGeneral
Indeed working together we must do more!
Unity is the mantra of every politician, whether inspired by well-meaning intentions or purely populist rhetoric and self-serving interests, it is a constant refrain. A united country seldom serves the immediate populist interests of holders of public office. When all of us are unified by common interests, populists lose an effective weapon to use in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Icasa must rule on Snuki despite his departure
The abuse, for political gain, of state institutions has claimed yet another victim, but this time it is someone whose departure few will mourn — Snuki Zikalala. Zikalala’s television news obituary, on the SABC’s 7pm news bulletin on April 28, was ignominiously short — a few sentences announcing that his contract would not be renewed […]
Posted inNews/Politics
W Cape: Zille’s chance to show the other provinces how it’s done?
As we start the build up to the inauguration of Jacob Zuma as our national president as well as the ANC’s appointment of eight premiers for the provinces other than the Western Cape, one thing is already becoming crystal clear; Helen Zille is not going to be allowing the grass to grow under her feet. […]
Posted inGeneral
The pitfalls of pursuing ideals based on party loyalty
Bertrand Russell in his treatise, Political Ideals (1917), expounded that: “In dark days, men need a clear faith and a well-grounded hope, and as the outcome of these, the calm courage which takes no account of hardships by the way. The times through which we are passing have afforded to many of us a confirmation […]
Posted inGeneral
Swine flu a public health event of international concern
Ask any school child older than 13 years of age to tell you something about World War I, the war to end all wars, and the chances are that they will at least have some sort of vague understanding of what transpired between 1914 to 1918 on the killing fields of Europe. After all, what […]
Posted inGeneral
The search for Southern Africa flava
Okay, I am biased. It is my writing. I am in good company: JK Rowling was turned down six times before her first Harry Potter was published. My memoir, Cracking China, has been turned down about eight times now by various SA publishers and agencies. Interestingly enough, they mostly praised the manuscript and say they […]
Posted inGeneral
SA clears another significant hurdle
Take a bow South Africa. Four free and fair democratic elections on the trot and the country has cleared another significant hurdle en route to hosting the 2010 World Cup. The gruelling election campaign which was frequently marred by political instability over the Jacob Zuma corruption trial has clearly impacted on the psyche of the […]