Litnet

"As a country we must stop paying lip service by having commissions and task teams and Zoom meetings. We need to implement existing policies effectively, and we need it to happen now!"

"The grim reaper is everywhere to be seen as these tragic events unfold. Beyond the rights and wrongs, the claims and counter-claims, this war, like all wars, has already resulted in the deaths of thousands of non-combatants ..."

"What about those who cooked, cleaned and built the houses in which they lived, he reminds us to consider. Without them, would those who achieved fame, or who sacrificed and contributed so much, been able to do all they did?"

"Russel asked how we might create an embracing, inclusive time horizon, irrespective of personal consequences, out of which we could serve humanity. Russel gifted us a type of human enfolding, based on recognition, intimacy and conviviality, a legacy for human and planetary co-existence."

"Addressing structural racism in South Africa requires a comprehensive and sustained effort from government, but also from us as citizens, who fundamentally believe that 'ons is nie almal so nie'. It necessitates policies that promote economic empowerment, educational equality and social parity."

"Like South African hardegatheid South African softness also maybe has a particular cultural significance."

"After all, what’s more convenient than blaming the ANC for the continuation of apartheid’s legacy? What’s easier than making the problem internalised black inferiority, black-against-black malgovernance, with zero reference to white supremacy?"

"South Africa’s agricultural sector is largely export-orientated. In quarter one of 2023, South Africa’s total agricultural product exports amounted to US$2,8 billion, up by 4,0% from US$2,7 billion in quarter four of 2022."

"Creating the conditions where this kind of multilingualism is fostered involves commitment, leadership in education policy, and an understanding that the long-term benefits of such an approach are worth the time, cost and effort, because it will contribute to social cohesion, individual well-being and the development of new opportunities for speakers."

"There is something so intricate and special about going to a butcher, reaching the glass cabinet, glaring at the various kinds of meat, stating your order, watching the items get weighed and finally paying."

"White supremacy must be stopped. Festivals should be safe, inclusive and welcoming spaces to all."

"The literary controversy by author Elizabeth Gilbert, of the popular book Eat pray love, seems to have passed unnoticed on South Africa’s literary scene ... She delayed its publication indefinitely after receiving flak from Ukraine supporters and citizens."

"African spirituality does not entail the idea of eternal damnation. It is anchored in the belief that even in death, a sinner can be forgiven and be reunited with his or her ancestors. The question is: would Africans be willing to forgive the sins Mangosuthu Buthelezi committed before 1994?"

"Truth be told, I was introduced to political propaganda and speech writing through Buthelezi’s speeches. He was indeed a gifted writer, crafting statements that could move masses. My father, an Inkatha member, often brought home Buthelezi’s speeches in Zulu and English."

"The new thing among African juntas is leeching on the grievances of the demos, that is, pretending to be (and celebrated as) a liberating force – at the beginning at least – before also creating a pattern similar to that of the new elite."

"Stop dreaming, take on the issues in front of you, DA, and get back to talking with the ANC. There are a number of South Africa’s biggest cities that are in real trouble (I know, I live in one), and only a determined effort by both the ANC and the DA working together can pull them right."

"Brics must be more of a foundation for economic growth with equal partners, and not be another cause for global political insecurity. The colonial mentality we resent from the West we shall not tolerate from the East either."

"It is a common thing in the South African political scene, approaching elections, that every political party takes its campaign line mark from the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) to jumpstart the race - by a rowdy form of political assertion. This usually takes a form of its cultish leader, Julius Malema, igniting the tinder by doing something deliberately controversial, like singing the 'Kill the Boer' song."

"Today, we are all metaphorically still afraid of being buried alive, only this time under an invisible cloud of carbon dioxide strangling our planet. The equivalent to our coffin bells are planetary temperature readings that go back to 1940."

"The overall intention is to promote, celebrate, support and empower women in all spheres, all walks of life, all cultures and capabilities – ultimately, to ensure an equal, balanced society for all, now and in the future."