Submitted by Bryony Green “We hope the transition will be a peaceful one, relatively peaceful, and that Mr Mugabe will step down with dignity, gracefully.” — Archbishop Desmond Tutu Desmond Tutu, in his uncompromised integrity, has continually called for peace and unity in Zimbabwe. His latest call, however, begs the questions of what exactly a […]
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Posted inLifestyle, Media
I read You magazine
There! I said it! Scandalous, isn’t it? Only, that “read” is past tense. Read. I read it, once, last week. And admittedly, the only reason I bought it was because my novel, Strange Nervous Laughter, was favourably reviewed in it (how’s that for fame? I’m reviewed in You magazine!) But I have to admit, I […]
Posted inGeneral
Material wealth, happiness and alienated youth
A number of recent events in the United Kingdom, as well as the United States of America, seem to suggest that a generally high level of material prosperity does not necessarily go hand in hand with human happiness, but, more disturbingly, that at least sometimes it seems to produce conditions that actually undermine happiness among […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Job reservation and egg on my blackface
Job reservation, which ensured jobs for white Afrikaners, especially in the civil service, was always one of the more insidious aspects of grand apartheid, but even something as foul as this can have its funny side. Flip forward a few decades to the new brand of job reservation — “whites, especially males, need not apply”, […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Zimbabwe, Kenya and Polokwane prove that press freedom is vital to Africa
As Mugabe’s thugs are once again unleashed upon the opposition and journalists in Zimbabwe, the roll of the media in safeguarding the citizens of a country is being highlighted — a roll that is particularly vital to the continent of Africa. The tyrant, who has just poked his head above ground, has decided to employ […]
Posted inGeneral
Christianity owes us
I am often accused of fighting a battle that’s already been conceded with organised religion. In fact, this is the criticism levelled at many anti-religious thinkers: basically, that we’re beating a dead horse. Religion has moved on from its horrible past. In its current form, it’s something altogether more complex and intricate. So why spend […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics, Tech
Africa’s big blogging bang
New statistics show that the big bang of blogging activity that began in South Africa in 2007 has been echoed by the emergence of blogging as a high-profile phenomenon in the rest of Africa. The April-July tipping point in social media in South Africa, chronicled in this blog, also appeared to be the period during […]
Posted inLifestyle
In the eye of the beheld
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, it used to be thus anyway, but now beauty has moved from the eye of the beholder and is now set firmly in the eye of the beheld. What kind of warped excuse for evolution of the human species is this?! In shrink mumbo-jumbo psycho-type talk, […]
Posted inGeneral
The tricycle phenomenon
I have a friend who is a Catholic priest. He’s a sanctimonious, arrogant prick of colossal proportions, but there’s no need to worry about my soul: I’ll say ten Hail Mary’s and all will be sorted. About twelve years ago, while under the grip of my three-year long flirtation with atheism, I was locked in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Zuma to table cryonics proposal to get tougher on crime
In line with his repeated calls for South Africa to get tougher on crime, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma has confirmed that he will be putting forward proposals for the introduction of cryonics at the next party conference. Msholozi believes that this will achieve a balance between those seeking the death penalty and the […]
Posted inLifestyle
Other people’s bathrooms: Weird pleasures part II
The idea for this blog hit me as I sat catching up on my emails at an internet café somewhere in Roodepoort a few weeks ago. For some weird reason I found myself rubbing my hands in glee at the mere thought that I was reading my emails from someone else’s PC. I know; this […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Why we must boycott the Olympics
Before considering a few arguments on why a boycott is obligatory, let’s be clear about why this is not yet happening on any significant scale. There are, I think, at least two broad reasons. The most pivotal has to do with the ambivalent attitude of power towards human rights and the other with the inherent […]