The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
Richard Pithouse -
As the glow of the World Cup dims and those of us who didn’t have to spend the tournament in Blikkiesdorp start to settle into the ordinary grind everyone from the captains of industry to the Communist Party is urging us to ‘build on the momentum’.
No one in their right mind could conclude that we don’t need momentum. In a country with systemic unemployment, an atrocious school system for most pupils, creeping and increasingly communal modes of...
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart airs on American television network, Comedy Central. The show recently sent a crew to South Africa to report on the World Cup and human drama surrounding the event.
Comedian Jon Stewart's sidekick, John Oliver, went in search of racism and found it in the company of avowed white supremacist, Dan Roodt.
In a hysterical interview, Oliver, completely straight faced, baits the unsuspecting Roodt who needs little encouragement to disclose his depraved...
Loren B. Landau and Tara Polzer -
For the past three months civil society organisations, academics and even some government officials have been warning that a new round of xenophobic attacks are coming soon after the World Cup has ended. Over the last two weeks, many of these same people have seen their world cup fever give way to a feverish effort to prevent (or at least prepare for) the forthcoming melee. No one has been readying themselves more fervently than migrants, many of whom have started packing and making their way...
On 6 July 2010, K'naan rocked 25,000 fans at Durban's FIFA Fan Fest with his world cup anthem, Waving Flag.
But a super talented international collaboration, the Playing Fields Connective have produced a delightful send-up of the song titled Wavering Flag.
The collaboration of progressive artists debunk many myths about the World Cup in this genuinely entertaining, humorous and intelligent commentary about the exploitative mega event.
Fazila Farouk -
Somewhat hidden from the spotlight this year, a time-honoured staple on the national calendar ran almost parallel to the world’s biggest soccer tournament. From the 20th of June to the 4th of July, the Grahamstown National Arts Festival (NAF) held its annual two-week programme of drama, music, dance and fine art, as it has done since 1974.
Artistic expression and its appreciation are vital to the spice of life and the NAF offered a well-timed sojourn from a nation engulfed by...
Dale T. McKinley -
The sun has almost set on the Soccer World Cup and its seeming suspension of our South African 'normalcy'. No doubt, many will try their best to continue to bask in its positively proclaimed 'developmental legacy'; but, as sure as the sun will rise on the morning after, so too will the reality of that ‘normalcy’ bite us like an unhappy dog. Nowhere will this be more apparent than in the world of South African soccer itself.
It is an unfortunate fact of our early 21st century...
