Litnet

"Forget the standard view of politics as left versus right, populist versus traditionalist, politically correct versus, well, just about everything else. That’s all old hat now in our brave new world. Instead, a simplified and much easier way of understanding the times we live in, compared with old school history with boring events and the like, is through something called vibe shifts."

"Over the past few weeks water services in Cradock in the Eastern Cape highlighted the plight of small towns when these services fail. It is reminiscent of a water sector adage that 'the problem is not the pipes; it’s the institutions that manage the pipes'."

"At this juncture in our country’s history, the words of Thomas Hardy come to mind when one thinks of the Springboks: 'Happiness is but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain.' Thanks to the Springboks for being the happiness in our lives."

"How and when will we find the simplification and Google Understanding Translate to help overcome the language and lexicon barriers to human understanding of universal or global issues?"

"As a government agency, we take our mandate from our country’s Constitution to work actively and diligently toward implementing social cohesion, human rights, equity, equality and the mainstreaming of accessibility for all persons impaired by disabilities, among other duties."

It is with deep sorrow that the Breytenbach family announces the passing of Breyten Breytenbach earlier today, Sunday 24 November 2024.

"Trump has not won in spite of his ugliness. He has won because that ugliness is appealing to millions. They believe that ugliness is strength. And the hate he speaks is their secret belief."

"In the writer’s ink lies the elixir to immortality. What’s done is done; the battle has been lost and won. While the breath is gone, the words still shine. The library lives on; it did not burn down."

"By stripping people of their individuality and freedom, the Taliban’s interpretation of Shariah robs Afghan men and women of the respect and agency they are afforded in Islam. True Shariah fosters an environment of moral integrity, where both men and women are encouraged to respect, support, and uplift each other – values that stand in stark contrast to the Taliban’s narrow, authoritarian vision."

"For all you South Africans reading this, I hope you cheer us on over the next four years as we Americans – we sometimes foolish and arrogant, but also generous and kind, Americans – learn these incredibly valuable lessons. I’m standing strong for hope, change and generosity of spirit."

A coalition of South African healthcare professionals, activists, and international leaders announced the official endorsement of a position statement advocating for the rights of transgender and gender-diverse young people to access evidence-based care. This statement, originally written on 18 August 2024, has now gathered signatures from more than a hundred leading professionals, scholars, and community leaders, as well as an endorsement by thirty organisations.

"Sitting at the fireplace of Victorian Manor Hotel on one of those rather bitterly cold Karoo nights, I flattered my imagination with the idea that Schreiner once sat before the same fire or on the stoep of the hotel, where, according to Fox, the farmers used to come for gossip and a sip of brandy; this made things come alive in a special way for me."

"The billions of dollars in financial aid flowing from the West to Israel, primarily from the US, raises the question: why is there such fierce loyalty, despite clear human rights violations and evidence of the greatest crime of all crimes – genocide?"

"Understanding the recent attacks launched by Iran against Israeli targets and, concomitantly, the spectre of a broader conflict requires engaging with a wider history of Iranian foreign policy."

"The map of Die Vlakte, another critical component of the exhibition, fails to represent the entire area accurately. Instead of depicting the full extent of Die Vlakte, the map includes only a few streets, while prominently featuring the predominantly white areas of the town."

"It is adorned with jewels
Like beads of sweat
On the skin of an athlete lifting weights that are heavier
Than the men who say she does not belong in the gym"

"Reading about this aspect of Cape history formed part of the inspiration for a recent short story of mine, a work of flash fiction, which is about a young woman and her grandmother, and their different approaches to doing laundry, particularly their underwear. While ostensibly about panties (as the story is titled), it is also about our country’s long and difficult history, about ourselves and about memory."

"In a previous article published on the LitNet platform, I suggested openly and candidly that Kaaps is the future of Afrikaans. I take that back: Kaaps has its own future; it is now in the hands of us all. Help us secure the future of this historically marginalised and indigenous language."

"Unlike the devolved parliaments of Wales and Scotland, where the nationalists can achieve their goals within a democratic framework, the English nationalists have no uniquely English parliament of their own. They are free only to elect representatives to a British parliament in the broad sense, whereas the Scots and Welsh elect MPs not only to their own national parliaments, but also to the British parliament. Will this constitutional anomaly lead to bottled-up rage and frustration among English nationalists?"

"Christianity might not own the Last Supper symbolism, but would the symbol have been able to gain so much power and presence without Christianity? Who today knows or remembers the Dionysian feast of the gods, except perhaps some lonely professor of ancient Greek mythology?"