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News & Views by Terry Bell
Browsing All Posts published in »2011«
An invaluable insight into apartheid’s ‘spooks’
January 6, 2011
Apartheid’s Friends — The rise and fall of South Africa’s Secret Service by James Sanders (John Murray) (First published: December, 2006) James Sanders is a researcher of note. He proved this with his doctoral thesis at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) which was published by Frank Cass in 2000 as South Africa […]
A failed attempt in need of a good editor
January 6, 2011
156 Hands that built South Africa — the 1956 Treason Trial by Phyllis Naidoo (self published) (First published: September, 2006) One of the critical events in the history of the anti-apartheid struggle was the treason trial of 156 men and women which began in Johannesburg’s old Drill Hall in December 1956. It was, and remains, […]
Gaining an insight into George Soros
January 6, 2011
George Soros is a household name associated mainly with philanthropy, but also for his advocacy for “open societies”. This, his ninth book, probably stands in place of an authobiography; it is by turns interesting and annoying, but provides considerable insight into a eccentric whose concerns are widely shared, even if his notions about the way forward may not be.
The high price of snobbishness
January 1, 2011
(First published: December 2007) St Vincent is the patron saint of the wine trade and, every year on “St Vincent’s day”, there is a tradition of calling for protection from “hail, frost, thirst and taxes”. The producers of the Cape winelands may this year add: “and snobbishness”. For South Africa’s wine producers — including “empowerment” […]
Terry Bell Writes 
Bigotry & Zapiro’s Muhammed cartoon
January 8, 2011
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The intolerant reaction to the 2010 cartoon by Zapiro of the prophet Muhammed was an example of bigotry and ignorance. Zapiro did not ridicule Islam or religion. What he did was to hold up to deserved ridicule those bigots who distort the professed messages from their prophets and, indeed, from their God or gods. He should be hailed for his perception and sensitivity, not damned for doing a good job.