Media

Media

iMaverick, Tuesday 11 October

iMaverick, Tuesday 11 October

South African economy's Cosatu-sized migraine; ibrahim Index: South Africa stable, not safe; Egypt's burning; China/Russia/US burning; and South Africa's hipsters. By iMAVERICK TEAM.

South Africa

QWELANE WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY GAY IS NOT OK

Former columnist Jon Qwelane, who is not okay with gays, might have won the battle in getting a hate-speech judgment against him set aside after he failed
to appear in court, but it seems he’ll soon have to be back to explain himself. CARIEN DU PLESSIS reports.

‘OCCUPY SOUTH AFRICA’ PREPARES FOR SATURDAY

It was only a matter of time before the “Occupy” movement, which began in New York and has spread to other US cities, hit South Africa. The “occupation” is scheduled for Saturday 15 October. By REBECCA DAVIS.

IBRAHIM INDEX LABELS SA ‘STABLE, BUT NOT SAFE’

The Ibrahim Index measures African governance across 86 different indicators. The results might not be earth-shattering – what, Somalia’s badly governed? – but their depth reveals exactly what’s going right and what’s going wrong in our country and our continent. By SIMON ALLISON.

COSATU’S ANTI-WALMART QUEST CONTINUES

Walmart should not be allowed into South Africa, according to the unions. We know that already. But the deal was approved, and the notorious retailer has already bought and paid for Massmart. A couple of months ago, three Cabinet ministers announced they were suing Walmart before the competition appeal court so that the conditions imposed on the deal will be sufficiently stringent. On Monday morning, Cosatu and Saccawu both rubber-stamped their action and promised to do their bit to pressure Massmart’s shareholders. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

THE SA ECONOMY’S COSATU MIGRAINE

I’m so depressed. Really. Like Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy. Here we are, a country the size of South Africa, and we are having stupid fights with people who want to come and spend money here. Walmart is coming, Cosatu is hiding its head in the sands of ideology. By STEPHEN (won’t he just cheer up please) GROOTES.

Opinionistas

JACQUES ROUSSEAU: STEVE JOBS WAS JUST A MAN

Amid all the hagiography related to Steve Jobs, we should remember to keep the man and his accomplishments in perspective.

Africa

ANOTHER ANGRY ARCHiBShiP: ROWAN WILLIAMS TAKES ON MUGABE

Are Anglican archbishops the conscience of our generation? The Archbishop of Canterbury followed on from Desmond Tutu’s savaging of the ANC over the Dalai Lama debacle with a no-holds-barred sermon in Harare on Sunday, telling Zimbabweans exactly what was wrong with their country. He followed this up by meeting the target of his ire on Monday afternoon. Brave man. By SIMON ALLISON.

AFRICANS MEET TO SPEED JOBS AND UP WORK STANDARDS

Leaders of African states, business and labour heads are meeting in Johannesburg this week to assess the continent’s progress since adopting the International Labour Organisation’s “decent work agenda” and to fast- track growth, employment and poverty reduction. By OSIAME MOLEFE.

IBRAHIM PRIZE FINDS A WORTHY CANDIDATE

You might not have heard of Pedro Pires, the former president of Cape Verde. But he’s worth hearing about, at least according the Ibrahim Prize committee who’ve named him as the recipient of this year’s award, relieved to have finally found someone worthy of commendation. By SIMON ALLISON.

EGYPT’S BURNING

A day after deadly clashes between mostly Coptic demonstrators and military forces left 25 people dead and 322 injured, Egyptian authorities executed a man who is believed to have stoked sectarian tensions in Egypt. By KHADIJA PATEL.

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND POETRY

In town for the Poetry Africa tour, Shailja Patel talks to GREG NICOLSON about Kenya’s post-election violence, the International Criminal Court trials, truth, justice and being a “brown Kenyan”.

World

SCOTLAND TO VOTE ON INDEPENDENCE

When Scotland entered a union with England in 1707 to create the United Kingdom, there were widespread protests. That disenchantment has continued in various forms until today – but now Scotland is preparing for a referendum to settle the question of independence. By REBECCA DAVIS.

ANALYSIS: YEMEN’S REVOLUTION IS NOW A MATTER of SALEH’S CONVENIENCE

Last Friday Tawakul Karman became the first Arab woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Sharing the award with Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson and Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, she has brought a rare cheer to Yemen. The uprising she helped engineer has fractured the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh, but he continues to hold on. By KHADIJA PATEL.

MR PUTIN GOES TO PEIJING TO COMPLETE THE GLOBAL POWER TRIANGLE

The test of this upcoming visit will be to measure any shifting emphasis away from the west and towards China on the part of Russia in the new Putin era. By J BROOKS SPECTOR.

Business

BLACKBERRY BOMBS

Millions of BlackBerry Internet Service users were caught short on Monday after midday when a server went down. The affected areas were Europe, the Middle East and Africa. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

IPHONE 4S RACES OFF SHELVES – EVEN WITH COOK’S POOR SHOW

Despite the death of Steve Jobs and the almost universal disappointment at Apple CEO Tim Cook’s performance at the launch of the iPhone 4S sales of the new smartphone are very lively. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

ICASA BEGINS LOCAL LOOP UNBUNDLING HEARINGS

A very important hearing is going to happen in Johannesburg from 11 to 13 October. It involves a war of words between Telkom, the country’s internet service providers and also mobile operators. One of the possible outcomes of this could mean that you could be paying someone else for that ADSL line rental for your internet – at a better price than the one offered by Telkom. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

Life, etc

LAUREN BEUKES’ NEXT TWO NOVELS SNAPPED UP BY US PUBLISHER

Local author Lauren Beukes is slowly but surely reaching global audiences. US publisher Mulholland Books has just acquired the North American rights for “The Shining Girls +1”, providing a platform for her work to cross over into the mainstream – while still retaining her signature “element of the strange”. By THERESA MALLINSON.

GUARDIAN OPENS UP ITS NEWSLIST TO CROWDSOURCING

The Guardian has started a new project of publishing its newslist online. But what exactly does it hope to achieve that isn’t already happening through less formal social-media engagement? By THERESA MALLINSON.

TEXAS NABS PAPERS OF ANOTHER SA WRITER

The Harry Ransom Centre at the University of Texas has bought the archive of JM Coetzee. It’s the latest acquisition for their extraordinary collection – which is also not without controversy. By REBECCA DAVIS.

NOBEL PRIZE FOR ECONOMY GOES TO TWO AMERICANS FOR PUZZLING OUT THE MYSTERIES OF MACROECONOMICS

Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims are the newest and final 2011 Nobel Prize laureates for their work in studying the “cause and effect” of macroeconomic events. Sargent is a professor at New York University in Manhattan, while Sims teaches at Princeton University in New Jersey. Both men are 68 years old. By J BROOKS SPECTOR.

THE HIPSTERS ARE ALIVE, WELL, AND LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Jeans, skinny. T-shirt, ironic or obscure. Glasses, preferably oversized Wayfarers. Cigarettes, hand rolled. Music, indie. Attitude, distinctive by its abhorrence of the mainstream and celebration of the fringe. South Africa, these are your hipsters. By MANDY DE WAAL.

STERKFONTEIN CAVES – 75 YEARS OF DISCOVERY

In 1936 Robert Broom discovered a Australopithecus fossil cranium in the Sterkfontein caves. Sixty years later, Ronald Clarke of Wits University found an entire skeleton – one that Broom had hoped would be there. On the 75th anniversary of the first discovery at Sterkfontein, Clarke delivered a public lecture on the rich fossil history of the caves, and explained why he classifies Little Foot as Australopithecus prometheus. By THERESA MALLINSON.

Sport

MATFIELD PRAISES DE VILLIERS

While Springbok coach Peter de Villiers may have lacked public support, Victor Matfield insists the players like and respect him. By PLANETRUGBY.COM.

MONTY: “IT’S DO OR DIE FOR WOODS”

Colin Montgomerie reckons that it’s crucial for Tiger Woods to get his game back in shape by next year. By GOLF365.COM.

ENGLISH PRESS HOLDS NOTHING BACK

Newspapers slammed England’s rugby team as “Les Miserables” after they lost to old enemy France at the World Cup on Saturday. By PLANETRUGBY.COM.

AFCON 2012 PLACES DECIDED

Morocco and Sudan claimed the last two places at next year’s African Cup of Nations as a qualifying competition full of shocks wrapped up on Sunday with another big team missing out on the continent’s top tournament. By FOOTBALL365.COM.



Gallery

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