South Africa News
The News We Deserve
By Sean Ross
The News We Deserve
For weeks on end the marketing department of E-News, South Africa’s first 24-hour television news channel, were promising viewers that as of launch date on June 1, paying customers would finally be receiving “The news you deserve”.
Naturally I started wondering how I had managed all these years to be duped into paying for news that I did not deserve. Perhaps that was why I mostly received bad news. Also, if E-News was finally to transmit news viewers deserved, what would the strategists at BBC World, CNN, Sky …
Date: June 11th, 2008 |
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R.I.P Lucky Dube: Boks to play tribute.
The news of the murder of one of our national treasures, Lucky Dube has cast a long shadow over tomorrows Rugby festivities.
Much loved Dube was shot in front of his son and daughter, in a carjacking attempt last night. Three suspects are on the run in what is one of the highest profile South …
Date: October 19th, 2007 |
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Sihle Khumalo: Dark continent, My black arse :)
This new release and first book by South African author Sihle Khumalo, details his travels from Cape to Cairo by public transport.
‘I had always wanted to write a book but I had never known what type of a book I would write. As my 30th birthday was getting closer I thought, why don’t I do the Cape to Cairo – which I had always wanted to do - and then after the trip attempt to write a book based on my travels and thus kill two birds with one stone. As they say, the rest is history.’
Read Pete “the meat” ’s review below:
From Cape to Cairo - that’s the intention, and that’s the span of the book. Shades of Kingsley Holgate and extended family, with Land Rover engines rumbling and belching, and loads of red rum around camp-fires at night! Maybe a lion roaring, or some hyenas yelping in the distance!
Well - not so, when Sihle Khumalo describes his real-life encounters. Same route, by and large, that many have traversed over the “dark continent”, but somewhat unusual, and a great deal more stamina required by the writer! Because, when the perspectives are flowing from an obviously suave, worldly-wise African graduate of Uni and sometimes life, choosing to get down and dirty on the roads and buses that span this large and complex continent we call home, this make for excellent reading, as well as some good laughs
So, sit back and travel tightly with our friend Sihle, as he buses through most of southern and eastern Africa’s states, backpacks through some very odd places, joins queues for hours at border crossings, gets mildly irritated at fruit and food vendors, becomes furious when he isn’t offered a lift in an air-conditioned 4×4 (with a license plate not far from where he started, two months prior!)………..and you find that he has crept right under your skin, whether it’s superficially black or white! Recall as you read, the personal resolutions he vows to keep, on his return to normality in SA (be worth finding out how our friend is doing on those, I suspect!). Chuckle at the ladies he tries half-heartedly to hook up with, en route, more out of curiosity, it seems, than serious intent
Date: October 16th, 2007 |
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Two tourists arrested for photographing Zulu Royal Reed Dance.
Umkhosi woMhlanga is the Zulu name for the Royal Reed dance which happens every September at KwaNyokeni Palace, Nongoma, which is the Zulu nation’s royal residence.
Over 10 000 virgin maidens are invited from throughout KwaZulu Natal, to dance in the ceremony and thousands more Zulus help the prepare. The occasion marks a Zulu maidens passage to womanhood, and serves to unite the Zulu nation under the King, who presides over the ceremony. (Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu)
Many of the Zulu maidens are ritually “topless”, so indiscreet photo taking is discouraged, as are women wearing pants entering the royal residence. This season two tourist had been arrested for taking pictures of the topless Zulu maidens, but later released. “Zulu maidens are increasingly becoming targets of unscrupulous photographers and cameramen who take the pictures of maidens and flash them on Internet porn sites,” said Nhlanhla Mtaka, media director for the event.
Date: September 11th, 2007 |
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2007 Rugby World Cup: South Africa VS Samoa, Amabokoboko!
South Africa kicked off the Rugby world cup yesterday with a splendiferous kicking of Samoa’s derrierre. (59-7)
Percy Montgomery and Brian Habana were the stars of the show, with Percy adding 2 tries and a total of 29 points and Habana’s ridiculous speed contributing 4 tries.
South Africa’s concern against playing the Samoans was trying to avoid injury from the leather necked Polynesians, this fear was realised as Jean de Villiers may have to sit out the rest of the tournament due to an arm injury.
Although the scoreline suggests a walkover the …
Date: September 10th, 2007 |
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Iceberg sighted of Cape St Francis: What the heck next?
Well there is no sight of the mysterious iceberg that was sighted last week at 6pm on Monday, 35 nautical miles south east of St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape by the crew of the fishing vessel Ntini.
The air force on routine patrol were asked to keep a lookout for the bobbing block, but it was nowhere to be found. Read excerpts below:
“According to the crew of the Ntini, the iceberg is about 25 metres in length and 20 metres in height and was spotted south east of St Francis Bay, 35 nautical miles off shore,” he said. It was first seen at 6pm on Monday. “But, we must take into consideration, that they flew in unfavourable weather conditions where there were high waves,” he said.
“It’s very unlikely because of the warm Agulhas current off the east coast,” he said.
“The history of iceberg climatology in this area also shows that there has never been anything like this in the past,” he said.
Hunter said the ‘South African Sailing Direction’, a book published by the Hydrographic Office under the South African Navy, mentions that there were a few iceberg sightings in the 1850s near Cape Town.
He said there was also a report from a ship in 2002 off the Cape west coast of a piece of ice, about a metre-high above the water.
“We refer to this as a ‘growler’ because it is very small. Bearing in mind the cold Cape Town water, this was, to an extent, acceptable,” he said.
Date: October 18th, 2007 |
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Countdown to 2010: World cup 997 Days to kickoff :)
The 8 host cities around South Africa staged celebrations on Saturday to mark 1000 Days till the start of the 2010 World Cup.
The celebrations were part of the 2010 Local Organising Committee and the host cities’ plans to make the public aware of the magnitude of the soccer extravaganza which will be held on the African continent for the first time. The body wishes to give a small kick in the bum to businesses and entrepreneurs to get moving on projects taking advantage of 2010.
The 2010 World cup is a huge force for change …
Date: September 17th, 2007 |
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Helen Zille, Mayor of Cape Town: Arrested!
My heroine, Mayor Helen (of Troy) God-Zille, has been arrested this morning during a march against gangsterism and drugs.
“The question that arises is this: everyone knows who the drug dealers in Mitchell’s Plain are, and where they ply their trade why are they not arrested?” said the Zillmonster.
The childlike empress (Helen Zille) apparently knocked on the door of a suspected (known) drug dealer, which was “out of the spectrum of the march”. 8 persons including the honourable Zille were arrested for an illegal gathering outside the Mitchell Plein police station. “The last time I witnessed people treated in this way was during anti-apartheid protests. We now have a constitution and a Bill of Rights.”- Zillina.
Date: September 10th, 2007 |
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ANC Youth League chooses Jacob Zuma: He sings Awuleth’ Umshini Wami
Jacob Zuma is rallying the youth as he continues to make his bid towards presidency.
This is a frightening prospect for many people (including me) as is support base is huge, young, communist and radical.
Zuma’s singing of his signature anthem “Awuleth’ Umshini Wami”, “Bring me my machine (Gun)” recently was criticised by ANC chairman Mosiuoa Lekota. Lekota was then warned his comments could spark further rifts within the ruling party (ANC). The rift within the ANC seems to be one of Communism versus Capitalism, and dissatisfied South Africans vs New South Africans.
I can’t for the life of me understand how this man can still be in the run for the presidency with all the scandal he has been through in the last year , but somehow he has managed to come through as a hero to many. I won’t be voting for a president who wants a machine gun.
Awuleth’ Umshini Wami
Umshini wami mshini wami
khawuleth’umshini wami
Umshini wami mshini wami,
khawuleth’umshini wami
Umshini wami mshini wami,
khawuleth’umshini wami
khawuleth’umshini wami
Wen’uyang’ibambezela
umshini wami, khawuleth’umshini wami
Date: September 7th, 2007 |
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