Charmain Naidoo was sailing along thinking about cow burps and methane and a friend’s lunch when – bam – the sound of rubber hitting the road
Fikile Mbalula
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics, Sport
The real sports transformation project lies not at national level
As a little boy, I witnessed my first live sports encounter from the veranda of our humble home in Sada (Hewu). Across the road, and a further 50 or so metres from there, was the rugby field that was home to the Wallabies Rugby Club. The field was hard – pure ground – without a […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Sports quotas: At last, a role for designated whiteys
The Congress of South African Trade Unions this week expressed support for the imposition of race quotas in soccer, pointing to the absence of white players in the national team as a grave social injustice. On the paleface of it, what a breakthrough this is for minorities. Bafana Bafana – The Boys, The Boys – […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Election ecstasy: Old foes kiss and make up
Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Julius Malema. Helen Zille and Jacob Zuma. When traditional foes start making nice towards one another or echoing one another’s opinions, it’s clearly the end of the world as we know it. Or else, it’s a general election year and they’re scrambling to ingratiate themselves with voters. Inkatha Freedom Party leader Buthelezi […]
Posted inNews/Politics, Sport
South African mediocrity vs Mbalula’s hypocrisy
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, the “Razzmatazz” himself, has caused a furore by going off like a dirty bomb at Bafana Bafana. “The two-legged Goats” — as I call them — were brutally booted out of the African Nations Championship (Chan) by the Super Eagles of Naija. This is maybe the gazillionth time that the Goats* […]
Posted inNews/Politics
To Mangaung and beyond
So what happens after Mangaung? What happens to the main role-players whose names are being bandied about in the media and their supporters? How will the results affect the contesting leaders, the ANC itself and most importantly how will it affect SA? There are only two results that can emerge out of Mangaung if the […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
Playing the victim: Malema’s survival strategy
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema and company have the ruling party exactly where they want it to be – i.e. they have got the ANC to mete out the harshest punishment possible. To their credit, I’m sure the ANC itself knows exactly where Malema wants it to be. It has become clear that Malema […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A lesson in political brinkmanship
President Jacob Zuma’s biggest strength is simply that most of us, including embattled ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, underestimate him. We look so much at his blunders and gaffes that we forget that he has in fact been a leader in the ANC for decades and has vast experience in that regard. We also […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
Is Motlanthe in the Eighteen Area?
If recent media speculations are anything to go by, it could be time to bring up to date a line in the song titled Shibobo by “celebrated South African musician” (read soccer player) Benedict McCarthy — a song co-produced with South African kwaito music group TKZee: “Kgalema in the 18 areaaa!” Eighteen yards from the […]
Posted inGeneral
Do myths about African sexuality hurt the fight against Aids?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Q: How many sizes do penises come in? A: Five — “small”, “medium”, “large”, “extra-large”, and “does that come in white?” African men have been the subject of European myth-making since the very earliest days of contact between the two continents. One of the hardiest and most enduring […]