Recent eruptions of xenophobic violence in Israel began in Tel Aviv and have since spread to other cities in the country. Heidi-Jane Esakov discusses how the Jewish identity Zionists seek to entrench in the state has played a major role in fuelling the xenophobia....
identity
We are all racists | by Nhlanhla Mtaka
Nhlanhla Mtaka says the Spear controversy has unmasked us as a nation From tolerance to acceptance: The controversy over the Zuma painting has revealed us all to be racists In his book The Other Side of History: An Anecdotal Reflection on Political Transition in South...
Taming transgressions: South African nation building and `body politics’ | by Antje Schuhmann
Abstract This text questions the support that Caster Semenya received in the name of patriotism, arguing that the heteronormative and patriarchal home base of nationalism, its gendered matrix so to say, reflects a dilemma: the popular support for Semenya reinforced...
Ayanda Mabulu vs Brett Murray | by Unathi Kondile
Firstly, I’d like to thank Brett Murray for his contribution to the arts. Secondly, I wish I could deliver canapés and wine to all the South African households who have had the privilege of entering a gallery from the comfort of their homes, courtesy of our media’s...
John Saul’s empty chalice | by Jeremy Cronin
As we mark the centenary of the ANC there are, as we might expect, idealised versions of its history being trotted out. These tend to present the ANC’s hundred years as a righteous procession from early beginnings, through persecution and heroic resistance, to...
Vox Pop with Simphiwe Dana | by Andre Marais
Andre Marais (AM): What does Simphiwe Dana stand for?Simphiwe Dana (SD): I stand for justice. I stand for peace.AM: What inspires your music?SD: The human condition. My roots are everything. I am passionate. I was born in Africa.AM: How did growing up in rural...
The Flowering of the Arab Spring: Understanding Tunisia’s election results | by Esam Al-Amin
Now that Tunisia's elections have passed - with just minor incidents - and the Islamist Ennahda party won the largest share of votes, the country waits for the constituent assembly to be formed, and to see what changes will be effected in Tunisian politics. It will...
Israeli Jews, Palestinian Arabs and the Apartheid Question | by Ran Greenstein
Presentation at the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, Cape Town, November 2011 Apartheid is a system of racial domination, in which a dominant group exploits, oppresses, marginalizes and excludes subordinate groups. The specific forms of these practices may vary from...
Egypt’s sectarian playing field | by Asef Bayat
Many no doubt wondered what had happened to the celebrated revolution of civility, to the Tahrir of sacrifice and solidarity, as they watched the violent collisions between Christians and Muslims in Egypt over the past few weeks. Disturbing certainly, but they were...





