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Monday 14 April 2008
By Andy on Monday 14 April 2008, 17:27
Since the election itself, we have
watched, in slow motion, the frantic backpedalling of ZanuPF to steal the
elections after the fact.
Wednesday 2 April 2008
By Andy on Wednesday 2 April 2008, 12:00
Zimbabwe went to elections last weekend. The Movement for Democratic Change use the open hand as a symbol, ZanuPF the cockerel. ZanuPF were so bereft of
ideas that their slogan was "Get behind the fist" - a clear counterpoint to
MDC's open hand. That makes international opinion the Scissors - unable to
conquer the Rock.
Thursday 20 March 2008
By Andy on Thursday 20 March 2008, 16:09
Habeni Primary school is in
Zululand, and has recently acquired a computer lab. Courtesy of Kelsey Wood and Wizzy Digital Courier, it also has
Internet.
Friday 7 March 2008
By Andy on Friday 7 March 2008, 13:18
In 1999 I visited Khekhekhe with Graham, to
negotiate a price for National Geographic to do a piece on him. I wrote up that
encounter at the time. Khekhekhe held a ceremony on the 23rd of Feb every
year - which he called the First Fruits ceremony. It seemed really to be a time
for the old Mthethwa Sangomas to get together, Khekhekhe to show his prowess
with snakes, and some beasts to die for the table.
Sunday 17 February 2008
By Andy on Sunday 17 February 2008, 12:04
I
recently had a genetic analysis done to determine my ancestry - courtesy
Ancestry24, the
Medical Research Council, the National Health
Laboratory Services and WITS University. It was a
free test, and it came with an informative booklet to explain the results.
Sunday 20 January 2008
By Andy on Sunday 20 January 2008, 10:49
I have watched the election crisis in
Kenya unfold from the beginning, and am angry at the lack of concern the
leaders have for the people they claim to represent.
Monday 24 December 2007
By Andy on Monday 24 December 2007, 10:29
The Polokwane conference was a
triumph of process, and a disaster for results. Much negotiation remains to be
done during the last 18 months of Mbeki's presidency.
Tuesday 18 December 2007
By Andy on Tuesday 18 December 2007, 15:23
A traditional Zulu wedding is a step
back in time, with cellphone cameras in strapped next to leopardskin
loincloths. The ancestors are remembered, and the age-old tradion of Lobola is
observed.
Thursday 29 November 2007
By Andy on Thursday 29 November 2007, 09:12
All the indications are that Jacob Zuma will be
elected as ANC president at the 52nd annual ANC conference in Polokwane from
December 16 through December 20.
Wednesday 14 November 2007
By Andy on Wednesday 14 November 2007, 19:32
The next president of South Africa will
be chosen this December at the December ANC conference in Limpopo. This is a
tiny subset of the electorate that make this important decision.
Tuesday 23 October 2007
By Andy on Tuesday 23 October 2007, 14:44
Wikipedia has started its regular fund drive with a video from the founder, Jimmy Wales. He starts by expounding the knowledge-for-everyone mantra of wikipedia, and in particular promoting wikipedias in third world languages like Swahili.
The video finishes up with clips of people around the world talking about wikipedia, how it has benefited them, and how they contribute, including people typing articles in on cellphones ..
There is a clip of me, at Lavender Hill Secondary school (at a township close to Muizenberg more renowned for its gangs) talking about my placement of a complete copy of wikipedia down at schools that have no daytime internet access, and also the Lab administrator Shanaaz talking about her wish for more content on the Afrikaans wikipedia.
Check it out, at the Wikimedia foundation or the Youtube mirror.
Tuesday 9 October 2007
By Andy on Tuesday 9 October 2007, 16:42
As an update on the Wizzy
project, a fair bit has been happening. 
Sunday 3 June 2007
By Andy on Sunday 3 June 2007, 17:55
Guguletu has a gem of a restaurant tucked away off Klipfontein Rd. Directions can be a little tricky in the townships, so here is a Google Maps URL And for those of you with a GPS that translates to -33.976415 S 18.569694 E.
Tuesday 15 May 2007
By Andy on Tuesday 15 May 2007, 00:47
I have been working at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences since December 2006. It is a pleasant work environment, the work I do has direct applicability to the work I do with Wizzy, and I get to listen to some really great lecturers from universities around the world. I have taken an interest in Cosmology and Quantum mechanics, a field that has changed so drastically in the last 10 years that I can happily forget most of what I knew before ..
Wednesday 9 May 2007
By Andy on Wednesday 9 May 2007, 18:45
The One Laptop per Child project has got a lot of attention, has prototype hardware, and a lot of open source software. What are its prospects in Africa ?
Tuesday 24 April 2007
By Andy on Tuesday 24 April 2007, 11:02
Recent elections in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa have been declared flawed by the country's own monitoring committee.
Tuesday 20 March 2007
By Andy on Tuesday 20 March 2007, 11:16
The continent still has a way to go to transition from Kings to Leaders, and South Africa's president will change before the 2010 Soccer World Cup. On Human Rights Day, some thoughts on the process.
Thursday 8 March 2007
By Wizzy on Thursday 8 March 2007, 11:29
Communication has come a long way in a century - not always at the customers convenience.
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