I was encouraged and puzzled by Khadija Sharife’s recent post, simply one of Rumi’s stunning poems. The poem is beautiful, the lack of commentary and any particular reason for posting it, rather odd. I know the poem speaks for itself, but … I was encouraged because, though I have published bits and pieces of my […]
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Posted inBusiness, Tech
Google, the bumbling behemoth.
Google’s presence in SA is marked by controversy and confusion as its commitment to equity, skills transfer and development is questioned.
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Julius Malema is a raw and intuitive talker while Cope’s guru is … er, too polished and a self-made thinker
I want to make a crude and slightly unfair comparison to contrast the caliber of youth leadership in the ANC Youth League and Cope’s youth wing. Political bodies are, largely, the lengthened shadow of their leading personalities and thus Julius Malema and JJ Tabane, for instance, represent and reflect the faces of their organisations. You […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Say it loud and proud — I want a society free from the Polokwane Syndrome
The Polokwane Gang of Four, and their trailing Average Student, have had a far greater impact than even they realise. Zuma, Vavi, Mantashe, Nzimande and Malema have influenced the manner in which South Africans deal with conflict. Gone are the years of consultation, consensus and dialogue, and political dignity. The very stuff which made us […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Will we ever remember a life before Julius Malema?
(Note: I wrote this two weeks ago, before the story about mad right-wingers abducting teenagers for “hate camps” emerged. Christmas came early for the ANC this year.) Another year, another collection of South African insults. The third and final book is out in around April, but the act of compiling the chapters inevitably brings up […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The trouble with human rights in Africa
The 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is as good a time as any to discuss Africa’s standing with respect to those rights. Koffi Annan once noted that human rights are often treated as some “rich man’s luxury for which Africa is not ready”. Our problems started right […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Pikoli dismissal sets a dangerous precedent
While parliament still has to verify the factors justifying National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli’s dismissal and thereafter approve the same, there can be little doubt that that is simply a formality which will be overcome shortly. The true impact of president Motlanthe’s decision to ignore the recommendations of the Ginwala Commission may however endure […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The dismissal of the national director of public prosecutions to protect alleged criminals
“President” Kgalema Motlanthe (or perhaps acting on instructions from Luthuli House) decided to fire the suspended national director of public prosecutions, Advocate Vusi Pikoli, even though the Ginwala Commission of Inquiry absolved him of any wrongdoing and further recommended that he be reinstated to his position. He believes it is illogical to reinstate Pikoli but […]
Posted inGeneral
How much do you hate your expats?
Going through my collection of Australian insults a couple of days ago, something struck me. Knock me down with a budgie feather, but Australians don’t particularly like their expats either. So it’s not just Jarred Cinman comparing South Africans who leave to a cancer that must be cut out in order for the “healing” to […]
Posted inNews/Politics
SA foreign affairs team must visit victims in DRC and Zimbabwe
Leah Chishugi, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and a trained nurse, went into the DRC and filmed the testimony of over 400 women who were raped and abused by militias in flare-ups in the eastern regions of the Congo. The Guardian (UK) carries footage of her coverage. In November 2007 South Africa (and Angola) […]
Posted inLifestyle, Tech
When music meets Microsoft ….
Some time back I heard of a group of people on the internet who were spending their time creating graphs of songs titles and lyrics and posting them online – in fact there was a whole song chart pool on Flickr that was collecting them all. As a closet geek with a passion for music, […]
Posted inLifestyle
Love begins, friendship ends – the catch 22
Trying to cope with the debacle of Cope? Here is a respite from that political nothingness – a human piece for a change on Thought Leader; we all need a break from stories about the defenders of freedom with super-human power and squeaky voices. Love, why must it be this way? I have been inundated […]