understanding

Why The Spear outraged us | by Mzukisi Makatse

Mzukisi Makatse on freedom of artistic expression in South Africa The contextual and political understanding of the freedom of artistic expression in South Africa Now that the dust seems to be settling after the storm and hysteria occasioned by The Spear - Brett...

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Lies, damned lies and statistics

Lies. damned lies and statistics. It’s a cliché that has been used several times in this column over the years. I have used it because statistical data, especially about employment and the cost of living, can influence attitudes, opinions and policy decisions. As...

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John Saul’s empty chalice | by Jeremy Cronin

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...

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The origin of our species | by Chris Stringe

The origin of our species | by Chris Stringe

The origin of our species might seem a question of purely scientific interest, but it is actually also an intensely political one. Stringer gives us a dialectical understanding of our evolution, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh.  The Origin of our Species (Allen Lane 2011),...

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