Oh, the president’s wit. The president’s wit. What is it, about the president’s wit? Let me just try get a few things out the way: Is there something about his lack of delivery that gets us all riled up instead of laughing? Is it timing? Is it that he does not know his audience well […]
Mac Maharaj
Posted inNews/Politics
Mandela: Let’s have less spin doctor and more medical doctor
The African National Congress probably couldn’t care less about the chatter that Nelson Mandela is now a medical zombie, alive but not living. It is widely speculated on social networks that the 95-year-old Madiba will remain in intensive care electronic limbo until his passing can be unveiled to the maximum benefit of the ANC in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Compounds, refugees and choosing your words carefully
This week, “compound” joined refugee as an apparently innocuous word that has become the centre of a debate around racism. The circumstances under which they were used are quite different, but both presented our national spin doctors with gift-wrapped opportunities to distract the public and their supporters from real issues of delivery and corruption. In […]
Posted inNews/Politics
How spooky is President Zuma?
Boss, the old apartheid Bureau of State Security, is back, says Laurie Nathan, director of the Centre for Mediation in Africa. A process of ‘Stasi-fication’ is underway, claims DA MP David Maynier. What they are referring to is the proposed Intelligence General Laws Amendment Bill, the latest assault by the executive through the legislature on […]
Posted inGeneral
Not The Mac Maharaj News
While going through the Sunday papers it became clear to me that the media are under immense pressure to stay within the bounds of South African law. Not only is a Protection of State Information Bill on its way but the National Prosecuting Authority Act and even the case law prohibiting the naming of litigants […]
Posted inNews/Politics
‘Black Tuesday’ protest the least we can do
In light of the current legal action being taken by presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj against the Mail & Guardian for what he claims are breaches of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act, coupled to the decision to proceed with all haste, and very little consultation, on the Protection of Information Bill, the very least South […]