Tag - South Africa - Wizzy Africa

Thursday 22 December 2011

Apple's iPad - a n00b experience

By Andy on Thursday 22 December 2011, 23:03 - Computers

Two friends of mine recently purchased iPads - Vernon asked me, as a computer fundi, to help him out on the installation. I always think it is useful to document first-time experiences - one adapts and forgets so easily.

no comment

Monday 6 September 2010

Using the Centre for High Performance Computing, Cape Town

By Andy on Monday 6 September 2010, 20:18 - Computers

I have recently been contracting at the Centre for High Performance Computing. This is just an update on how to map the particular problem I have onto the computing cluster.

one comment

Monday 26 July 2010

Centre for High performance computing in Cape Town

By Andy on Monday 26 July 2010, 16:49 - Computers

Last month I started a contracting job with the Marine Remote Sensing Unit - a collaboration between the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) and University of Cape Town.

one comment

Friday 5 March 2010

Zimbabwe sanctions

By Andy on Friday 5 March 2010, 09:19 - Politics

I was invited to participate in BBC World Service 'Africa have your say' call-in programme to discuss Zuma's request to Gordon Brown that sanctions be lifted. I was given 30 seconds very near the end of the programme, and I handled it poorly. This post is to make up for it :)

no comment

Monday 1 March 2010

Kiwix install at Kwena Malapo school Johannesberg

By Andy on Monday 1 March 2010, 12:47 - Computers

Kwena Computer lab Kiwix, an offline wikipedia selection, is installed at Kwena Malapo school.

6 comments

Wednesday 3 February 2010

Jacob Zuma: president of South Africa

By Andy on Wednesday 3 February 2010, 17:00 - Politics

Jacob Zuma has made no meaningful stamp on the history of South Africa.

one comment

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Offline copies of wikipedia

By Andy on Wednesday 25 November 2009, 09:23 - Computers

I have been involved for a number of years with Hilton Theunissen and the Shuttleworth Foundation and their efforts to bring computers to township schools. A part of that software suite was an offline copy of wikipedia.

no comment

Monday 23 November 2009

What is a racist?

By Andy on Monday 23 November 2009, 14:57

Living in South Africa, this is a much-overused term, derogatory, harking back to the Apartheid era. In my opinion, it indicates a strange paucity of the English language in a very necessary area.

one comment

Sunday 1 November 2009

Gugulethu taxis

By Andy on Sunday 1 November 2009, 13:46

Toyota Cressidas are nursed into longevity serving as taxis in Gugulethu township, Cape Town.

no comment

Thursday 25 June 2009

AIMS Graduation 2009

By Andy on Thursday 25 June 2009, 17:31

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences held the graduation dinner for the class of 2009 at the Muizenberg Pavilion on June 25, 2009. Present were Vice-Chancellors from three of Cape Town's Universities, and the Kenyan Ambassador Tom Amolo.

no comment

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Splitting South Africa's ANC party

By Andy on Tuesday 16 December 2008, 13:03

The African National Congress has led South Africa since 1994 - the start of majority rule. Disaffection with Jacob Zuma's recall of Thabo Mbeki has set an unwanted ball in motion - a potential split of the party before the next election.

2 comments

Thursday 19 June 2008

Xenophobia in South Africa

By Andy on Thursday 19 June 2008, 17:30

At the end of May in South Africa, a lot of violence erupted, apparently targeted against other black africans by fellow black South Africans. Meeting other Nigerians, almost all of them, given a little time, bring up the subject. I found myself having to apologise for the violence, and make some explanation of it.

no comment

Monday 14 April 2008

Zimbabwe - Thabo Mbeki and Aziz Pahad

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.

no comment

Thursday 20 March 2008

Habeni Primary

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.

one comment

Friday 7 March 2008

Khekhekhe's First Fruits ceremony

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.

3 comments

Monday 24 December 2007

Aftermath of Polokwane

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.

no comment

Thursday 29 November 2007

Zuma for President!

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.

one comment

Wednesday 14 November 2007

ANC elections - the Eye of the Needle

By Andy on Wednesday 14 November 2007, 19:32

ANC Logo 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.

one comment

Tuesday 23 October 2007

Wikipedia fund drive

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.

no comment

Tuesday 9 October 2007

Schoolwan

By Andy on Tuesday 9 October 2007, 16:42

As an update on the Wizzy project, a fair bit has been happening. Panel Antenna

2 comments

Wizzy Africa

Tag - South Africa

Apple's iPad - a n00b experience

Using the Centre for High Performance Computing, Cape Town

Centre for High performance computing in Cape Town

Zimbabwe sanctions

Kiwix install at Kwena Malapo school Johannesberg

Jacob Zuma: president of South Africa

Offline copies of wikipedia

What is a racist?

Gugulethu taxis

AIMS Graduation 2009

Splitting South Africa's ANC party

Xenophobia in South Africa

Zimbabwe - Thabo Mbeki and Aziz Pahad

Habeni Primary

Khekhekhe's First Fruits ceremony

Aftermath of Polokwane

Zuma for President!

ANC elections - the Eye of the Needle

Wikipedia fund drive

Schoolwan

Search

Blogs

Interesting Africa blogs

Tags

Subscribe