Sunday, 26 May. Three days before Colesberg heads to the polls and it’s do or die for the local ANC. And, at least one final score to settle, one more point to prove. Malema’s shindig! Though it drew a modest crowd, still left a bitter taste in the mouths of diehard punters. At the time, …
Big Posters. Booze. No Bloody Noses – Colesberg Votes! Read More »
With cognoscenti bogged down on the highly-anticipated 29 May, my thoughts have been mulling over Homeboy. Not Seth Morgan’s literary masterpiece than my own towering, stoic and long-dead uncle, Charles ‘T.O.’ Mayaba. The one whose politics were of a patently afro-nationalist tilt but not so dogmatic as to be over-imposed onto those of divergent persuasion. …
Even without the bourgeoisie elevated Michael Jackson platform Julius Malema clearly nurses a fetish for theatrics. Why else would he go all out even in remote enclaves like Colesberg to put on the sort of showboating that brings an entire town to a virtual standstill? Maybe that’s because even though he’s mostly labelled as a …
‘Ramaphosa is a Criminal;’ Malema Speaks in Colesberg. Read More »
When asking after one Siyabulela Phololo in Colesberg you are likely to be met with blank stares. That’s because here the podgy, diminutive ANC Sub-Regional Chairperson is universally known as Shuta – the short one – and whatever his deficiencies in centimetres, he is relied upon to compensate for in an accessible, humorous personality. His …
In this the first installment of an ongoing (hopefully) series on the May elections, we sit down with the Democratic Alliance’s councillor Johan Matthee at Umsobomvu Municipality. We hope that other parties will jump on board and make their voices heard. The Johan Matthee who upped and left Joburg some two decades ago was a …
On the Local Campaign Trail, an Interview with DA’s Johan Matthee Read More »
In her humble home in Colesberg Masakhane Township, Nosiphiwo Afrika is more than delighted to hear of the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) new strategy for early learning. For years, this is what she and some five women – unemployed side-hustlers running an early childhood facility from inside Afrika’s house – have been knocking on …
The intensifying hurtle towards May 29 has seen acronyms and /or hashtags like JZ, MK, #Abahambe prominently popping up on my search engine. But for some reason CapeXit – not too long ago a portmanteau that saw promotional flyers being slipped through car windows at intersections, petitions circulating, and left the twitterati at loggerheads – …
The Electoral Court’s latest decision to allow Jacob Zuma to stand as a candidate in the upcoming election has many commentators – eParkeni being no exception – eating humble pie. Not only is the former president having the last laugh, he is also adding to his lored streak as the ‘Teflon president,’ all of five …
Under normal circumstances the Independent Electoral Commission’s announcement that effectively disqualified Jacob Zuma of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) from standing as a candidate in the 29 May elections would’ve been a non-issue. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya had hardly switched on the microphone when the country knew exactly what was coming. And the entire thing …
As SA commemorated the Sharpville Massacre this Thursday, many at Robert Sobukwe’s hometown were up in arms over a seemingly trivial issue: the Pan-African Congress leader’s given name. Born into a working class family in Graaff-Reinet, Sobukwe’s early life was the standard township hardscrabble. Despite these travails, he completed school, ultimately enrolling at the South …
Name Change or Just Tenderpreneurship by Another Name Read More »
