Zuma

Politicians' antics make 2009 a year to watch

brett — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:44:39 +0000

Poor politicians -- they never have a break. While the rest of the country is closing up shop and heading for the beaches, South Africa's politicians are hard at work. Yesterday, both the ANC and the new splinter party, COPE, held rallies in Bloemfontein, where the leaders of both parties claimed their group represented the true spirit of South Africa's liberation and transformation.

Undermining the foundations of democracy

brett — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:35:27 +0000

I'm hopping mad. Zacob Zuma, the man who is likely to be South Africa's next president, is in court today, to try and ward off a corruption case against him. It's the latest in a long series of court appearances, as Zuma's lawyers try every tactic to avoid or postpone his corruption trial. That's not why I'm mad. I'm mad about the stance that Zuma's party, the ANC, is taking on the case.

Growing up

brett — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:55:53 +0000

It seems that all our state institutions in South Africa are being tested at the moment. They're all in crisis or under attack -- from the Human Rights Commission, to the Judiciary, to the national broadcaster. It's the toughest test our teenaged democracy has had, and its clearly time for us all to grow up and become adults.

We have been warned

brett — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:47:58 +0000

On Youth Day, June 16th, Julius Malema, the leader of the ANC Youth League, said at public rally that the youth were prepared to kill for Jacob Zuma. A few days later, Zwelinzima Vavi, the head of the giant trade union federation, Cosatu, said the organisation's members would be willing to sacrifice their lives for Zuma. Despite the outcry that has followed these remarks, I remain deeply, deeply disturbed.

General