It is with absolute rage that I write this article. The news of the auctioning off of comrade Julius Malema’s farm signals more than just another chapter in the tragic story of the former president of the ANCYL’s political downfall. It signals a tragic legitimisation of a historical injustice against black people; an injustice that […]
Julius Malema
Posted inNews/Politics
How South Africa created Malemas and how it is killing them
Imagine yourself as a youth in the June 1976 Soweto riots. You are young and you have dreams; selfish dreams about yourself as a free man (or woman) and a full citizen of a free nation. Desperation, pain and death surround you. You realise that you have only two options: freedom or death. Death, in […]
Posted inEquality
The black ‘middle class’ and its white tendencies
There are two groups of people that I have a serious problem with in this country: white people and the black “middle class”. I won’t discuss my problem with white people because that could take forever as there are actually many problems I have with that group of people. What I want to discuss today […]
Posted inNews/Politics
FNB’s Steve the answer to the ANCYL’s PR woes
The election of Pope Francis by a conclave of cardinals in the Vatican, the African National Congress Youth League’s NEC being dissolved by the ANC and the Oscar Pistorius shooting incident have been dwarfed into insignificance again this week as “recordings” of “Steve” from beeb Bank to FNB customers are played and replayed on 94.7 […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The problem in SA is not the ANC
The oldest liberation movement on the continent, the African National Congress, is facing a crisis of great magnitude. Not only are there power struggles within the organisation but a sense of resignation towards the organisation in broader society. The masses have evolved from a state of defeatism — induced by the post-1994 euphoria — to […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Any room for Afrikaners in the new South Africa?
About two months ago I wrote a light-hearted post (on my blog) about the South African language I considered to be the sexiest. The post was written for a limited audience and was not intended as social commentary. I rated Afrikaans fourth and said — in jest of course — that “unfortunately, Afrikaans is burdened […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Corruption destroys political legitimacy
We, as a country, have a serious problem with national morale. Everywhere you look you can sense ”something is wrong”. No doubt, over the last 23 years since the release of Nelson Mandela in February 1990, we have produced bright and charismatic leaders. Many have risen to international stature and are significant global players. In […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A survival kit for the ANC
It’s crucial that a parasite controls its intake. After all, if the host is sucked dry and consequently expires, so too does the parasite. It is this self-preserving biological imperative that lies behind the African National Congress’s intention to “name and shame” corrupt civil servants. This, it claims, will reduce the amount of R30-billion that […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Malema still holds us captive
Laura Fitzpatrick in a Time Magazine article explained the phenomenon commonly known as “the Stockholm syndrome”. She explained that the syndrome is ”the phenomenon in which victims display compassion for and even loyalty to their captors”. Sound familiar? It’s been over a year since our unrelenting saviour put Julius Malema’s political career to rest. Even […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Don’t throw Malema into the dustbin of history
I have listened to political analysts, academics, businessmen and women and ordinary people trying to convince me that Julius Malema is the biggest problem this country has ever been confronted with post-democracy. I have heard arguments about how he is a “populist”, an “opportunist”, a “demagogue” and “a danger to the future of the country”. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The politics of political hate speech
By David Smith Freedom of expression is an absolute. Unless, of course, the politics of South African president Jacob Zuma‘s re-election are in play. On Wednesday the governing African National Congress (ANC) promised to stop singing the anti-apartheid ditty Dubula iBhunu (Shoot the Boer) to avoid hurting the feelings of white farmers and inflaming racial […]
Posted inNews/Politics
10 African leaders turning to twitter
By David Smith Nana Akufo-Addo (@nadaa2012) Leader of the New Patriotic party and presidential candidate in Ghana. 1 640 tweets 35 following 6 132 followers The opposition leader is hoping social media can propel him to victory in forthcoming elections. One of numerous recent tweets declared: “In #48days, we will go to the polls to decide between […]