2 April 2014, David Maimela
Programme Director
President of the NSRC and the National Executive of the NSRC
Vice-Chancellor Prof Mandla Makhanya and other members of UNISA management
Dean of Students, Prof LenkaBula
Leadership student organisations represented here tonight
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen, . . . Continue reading this article
With the release of the Public Protector’s report on the President’s homestead security upgrades, we have, in the recent past, been bombarded by a variety of degenerate theoretical aspersions in the “South African” mainstream media.
Instead of studying the said report within the broader confines of achievements and challenges epitomising the ANC’s post 1994 democratic dispensation, Dr Xolela Mancgu and Mr Justice Malala, (M &M) succumb to blame game, targeting the ANC and hypocritically . . . Continue reading this article
The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. (Wikipedia)
Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where . . . Continue reading this article
No other entity mediates social relations as much as the state. The state is ubiquitous because of its unique nature, size and reach. As a social institution the State is contested by all social interests who use their power and position to influence it and consequently impact social relations. Interest groups compete to shape the State and in turn use the State as an instrument to attain particular ends.
The birth of democracy in 1994 marked the historic break with a colonial-apartheid State . . . Continue reading this article
In his recent piece (Beware of African nationalism February 9 2014, The Sunday Independent) Prince Mashele argues that African nationalism has run out of its relevance as a philosophy. Its usefulness was limited only to the early anti colonial struggles and has now in the post colonial time, he argues, become nothing but a tool at the hands of the tyrannical rulers of the post colonial Africa to subdue the “ordinary” Africans in the face of the unjust power of the ruling elite. He argues that . . . Continue reading this article
Apparently, the idea of an open, free-market economy promises ‘opportunity’, ‘growth’ and ‘competitiveness’, among other things. And from these, the expectation of development arises, at least in so far as the promise of free marketeers suggests. In South Africa, although our economy is predominantly capitalist, rhetoric from officialdom usually speaks of a ‘mixed economy’, where a regulated private sector exists, side by side with a state and public sector.
No doubt, our political . . . Continue reading this article
It is a given that we all different. Something that happens to one person will not always happen to another person. Even if it happens to another person, there is no guarantee that it will happen to the third person, and so on. Having said that, it does not mean we should not try out things where we have observed a pattern and there are not many options to consider anyway.
When our mother passed away in 2004, it meant my 3 siblings and I no longer had parents. As the eldest, I had to take care . . . Continue reading this article
Here is a list of 2014 resolutions I wish to recommend to friends. You are welcome to take zero, one or more.
Validate information you find on the internet.
A surprising number of friends on Facebook and on twitter, hasten to post links to parody articles on the internet in the hope to be the first to share the news. In 2013 I saw even some of the trustworthy friends share parody and satirical articles as though they are true. Such included Samsung paying Apple in coins, a US or Russian university . . . Continue reading this article
“HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, FIRST AS TRAGEDY, SECOND AS FARCE” - Karl Marx
The only instance when the despicable part of history repeats itself is when the victims of that history decide to sit in their laurels and observe the sequels of such history unfolding even beyond the victims' triumph over such victimhood. Advancing, deepening and defending our democracy therefore becomes an on-going responsibility so as to impede the farce of history.
Two strands of schools of thought come to mind: . . . Continue reading this article
[This is an extract from one of the papers presented at the 2013 Jabu Ndlovu Memorial Lecture, The August Month Annual Series Organised by uMgungundlovu COSATU Local]
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The 57th Anniversary of the South African Women’s Day since the year 1956 brings with itself yet another challenge in as far as its contextualisation is concerned. And in celebration of this Day we should also be commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1913 multi-group women’s Anti-Pass Law Campaign . . . Continue reading this article