There are obvious comparisons to be drawn between fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and beleaguered President Jacob Zuma. Both have been accused of inappropriate conduct, or worse, misconduct, towards women and abusing their positions of power. Zuma was of course acquitted of rape charges and Weinstein has yet to be charged. With eight women, at [...]
Top duo represent ‘evil of two lessers’, which is not exactly a recipe for dynamic or even dynastic change Is SA capable of making the deep and swift reforms needed to lift growth, restore business confidence, create jobs and dent poverty? And who might lead this process of urgent renewal? On the leadership question, the [...]
“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”. Recent events here have, however, turned this old caution on its head. Who would have thought, for example, that South Africa’s top capitalists would mourn the firing in March of finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas –two top line Communists? [...]
Two encounters with remarkable women revealed a glimpse of a future in a "better South Africa in a better world", to adapt the slogan of our Department of International Relations and Co-operation. First was an interaction with the first Hispanic woman ever appointed to the US Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor, an appointee of Barack [...]
Two versions of her speech at Gibs, in text and orally, show little regard for dire state of public accounts. Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s recent speech at a high citadel of capitalism — the Gordon Institute for Business Science — caused much controversy. In her actual remarks Dlamini-Zuma bemoaned the "dissonance" between the government and [...]
Our security services and minister are fast friends with their Russian counterparts. Just on Monday the two countries signed a co-operation agreement on "cyber security" The Sherlock Holmes story The Silver Blaze gave us the famous tagline of "the curious incident of the dog in the night". The curiosity in that tale of the kidnapping [...]
'South Africa is the Mugabes' destination of choice for depositing wayward sons and for minor shopping needs and medical procedures' Be graceful for small mercies, to adapt a phrase. Two Sundays ago 20-year-old Gabriella Engels was, along with two other unnamed women, allegedly assaulted by Zimbabwe's Grace Mugabe. In the presence of the Zim power [...]
'South Africa is the Mugabes' destination of choice for depositing wayward sons and for minor shopping needs and medical procedures' Be graceful for small mercies, to adapt a phrase. Two Sundays ago 20-year-old Gabriella Engels was, along with two other unnamed women, allegedly assaulted by Zimbabwe's Grace Mugabe. In the presence of the Zim power [...]
