Sona: Who cares what he says, what’s Zuma done this year?
As we approach another State of the Nation (Sona) address by President Jacob Zuma, there are sure to be the usual laments over his...
The foreign native, a xenophobic irony
SA’s particular brand of denialism in the face of obvious xenophobia keeps the rest of Africa out and stops us from challenging what is...
Curro School: “The principal does not promote unity†– parent
The Curro School saga – which came to light last week when it emerged the Roodeplaat branch of the school was segregating black and...
#SowetoAttacks and the far-off dream of reconciliation in SA
I was raised in a culture where we treat elders with the utmost of respect, no matter who they are. So last week, when...
Are protests the only way to a gain a university education?
Students around the country have been experiencing frustrations with access to financial aid; some have resorted to protests as a way to highlight their...
ANC’s January 8 Statement: trying to be all things to all...
The ANC’s annual January 8 statement has typically reflected the concerns of the party – from calls to overthrow apartheid in the 1970s and...
Forget the West, Nigerian lives don’t even matter to Goodluck Jonathan
African lives aren’t as valuable to Western leaders as Western lives. We know that. But it’s time to talk about African leaders, particularly Nigerian...
Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: the media framing of Ahmet Merabet and...
A victim – and a hero – of the recent attacks in Paris have been singled out in media coverage as examples of “good...
Humanities students suffer in the education hierarchy
The government is intent on improving the quality and number of maths and science learners. This is a noble aim, but it shouldn't come...
The Paris attacks were not about freedom of expression
I am a writer, a journalist, even a satirist sometimes. I understand the value of freedom. And I also understand that part of our...
Charlie Hebdo: responses from South Africa
The devastating attack on satirical french magazine Charlie Hebdo has provoked shock and anger across the world, and rekindled a debate about the boundaries...
Welcome to the future. It’s been here all along
We think of the future as a faraway event. But, crucially, KHADIJA PATEL argues, it’s contingent on the present – and the past. As...
Peter Greste, always ready to ask the hard questions
It was the sort of rain that drenched your pants, an unrelenting soaking that moulds skin to cloth.
I was with Al Jazeera’s correspondent Peter Greste, cameraman John...
#sexistSA: Why it’s okay to be single at 21
"Don't worry, you can have your 40th birthday and your bridal shower at the same time!", one of my friends so kindly reassured me...
Hashim Amla to endorse ‘new’ product from Castle Lager
South African test cricket captain Hashim Amla has agreed to endorse a new product from Castle Lager, a source has revealed.
A source at SABMiller,...
Here are a few Christmas traditions you may not have seen...
It's that time of the year again, when Johannesburg empties out and everyone takes a national road or flight home. Yes, ke Dezemba, boss!...
Weekly Dissident: Menzi Maseko writes on black consciousness and jazz
MENZI MASEKOÂ is a sociopolitical activist and cultural worker who upholds black consciousness and radical humanist principles mostly using the weapon of the arts and...
Mugabe: Out with the foes, in with old friends
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has honoured his old ties and appointed the Minister of Justice, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and retired general Phelekezela...
How suburban neighbourhood watches enforce informal apartheid
A local Tumblr account, Suburban Fear, highlights just how common racial profiling is in the community forums and neighbourhood watches of South Africa’s suburban...
Do #BlackLivesMatter to Helen Zille?
As always in matters of the powerful versus the downtrodden, the conversation must revolve around white people, even when black people are the victims...
