Communists Soaring

What a pleasure it is to see a big headline saying: Communist Numbers Soar! This was on the top of the front page of The Weekender, the Business Day’s new Saturday paper, yesterday. Although it costs nearly ten rand, this one was well worth the money. Not only is the top story (linked below) music to Communist University ears. The rest of the paper is full of goodies, too. Maybe the best of all is Vukani Mde’s set of bite-sized chunks in his Political Diary. Every one’s a winner! See the second link, below. If you don’t get at least six good laughs out of it, you probably need therapy for depression. This man is on the top of his form. He can write about anything. Even the mention of the death of his friend, Jabu Sithole is done lightly, yet respectfully, and does not seem out of place at all. Look well, O students of the Communist University. This is a master craftsman at work. The SABC under Dali Mpofu is well dealt with in the Weekender’s (linked) editorial. Mpofu’s air of glibness and charm, tinged with a hint of menace, may well not be sufficient to carry off the trick of hegemonising the airwaves as a new condescending “Auntie” in the mould of the old BBC. The days when such a thing was normal are gone. Mpofu may have to bend if he is not to break. Right now he looks as if he is losing it, like a performer “dying” on stage. He should take a holiday. Jacob Dlamini uses a visit to William Kentridge’s exhibition (“Black Box/ Chambre Noire”) at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Joubert Park as an occasion for a short but brilliantly perfect exposition of the thought of the recently deceased urbanist Jane Jacobs. It would be a wonderful thing indeed if more of our journalists were even a little bit more able to appreciate the true nature of cities. If only a few of them could achieve again what Dlamini has done in this one (linked) article, it would be a liberation. The Weekender’s report of the June 16th youth rallies on Friday are opportunisitcally pegged to the appearance of Billy Masetlha at the Durban event. Surely the statement of ANC Youth League president Fikile Mbalula was more significant? He said (as reported towards the end of the article) that the youth would determine their leaders and would not allow themselves to be ruled by “surprise leaders". That one hit the target all right. Long may this blaze of great writing continue in the Weekender. South Africans have always been able to do this thing, given the chance. Here is an example of the chance well taken. Click on these links: Communist numbers soar, ANC leaders row, Brown, B Day Weekender (999 words) Political Diary with Vukani Mde, Business Day Weekender (1383 words) SABC problem, bias or bungling, Editorial, B Day Weekender (663 words) No still life in teeming Joubert Park, Jacob Dlamini, B Day Weekender (814 words) Masetlha opts for Zuma rally, Musgrave and West, B Day Weekender (616 words)