History Matters

by Lindy Wilson In the depths of the country I opened an e-mail from Prof. Njabulo Ndebele inviting me to a Dialogue between four young South African novelists and Ariel Dorfman, the world-acclaimed Chilean-American author on Suspect Reconciliation to take place three days later at the Fugard Theatre.   There was something in his personal tone [...]

What to make of the war of words that has erupted between Jonathan Jansen and Jessie Duarte? Briefly, ANC spokesperson Duarte is demanding that recently installed University of the Free State Rector Jonathan Jansen apologise for calling Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga a “lazy and incompetent minister, if one takes into account her record as [...]

Development Dialogue at the Centre fro the Book

WISER invites you to Steffen Jensen’s Book Launch and Panel Discussion on Race and gangs in the townships [...]

Ebrahim Fakir – Politics in Zimbabwe, like politics everywhere, is tendentious and fractious, characterized by ideological nuance, policy variation and contending political trajectories, even within relatively coherent political parties. Zimbabwean politics, however, has displayed these characteristics to an unusual degree. It is a sad history …

Thomas Alberts – The implication that the fate of Zimbabwe is tied to the peculiarities of its ruler’s personality is hardly novel nor unique to Zimbabwe, though the word ‘fate’ might not carry the same weight in democracies as it does in dictatorships. But even in democracies, the politics of saving face is underestimated …

Heidi Holland’s presentation at the Difficult Dialogues panel discussion at the University of Cape Town, 1 July 2008 …

Dr. Wilmot Jame’s presentation at the Difficult Dialogues panel discussion at the University of Cape Town, 1 July 2008 …

Dr. Mamphela Ramphele’s presentation at the Difficult Dialogues panel discussion at the University of Cape Town, 1 July 2008 …