THE 2008 BUDGET VOTES: HOW THE OPPOSITION VOTED
Attached to this article is a table which sets out how the 15 parties represented in the National Assembly voted in the 2008 budget votes.
I have previously, in a series of articles, set out what the budget votes are, why they are important and how they work; as well as some analysis of voting patterns in previous years. Should you be unfamiliar with the process, I would recommend reading the following articles - and certainly the first - by way of introduction:
• What is a budget vote?
• The ACDP on the ANC and crime - for or against?
• The IFP on the ANC and crime - for or against?
• The 2007 budget votes
• The 2007 budget votes - how the opposition voted on safety and security
This year the budget votes took place on 17 June, and the way in which the opposition voted once again makes for interesting analysis. | | Posted on 02/07/2008 |  | |
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A VICIOUS CIRCLE OF POOR LANGUAGE AND POOR REASONING
Writing for his regular column in the Sunday Independent this past Sunday, Edwin Naidu has produced an article the sheer idiocy of which renders it almost immune to full and proper interrogation: an attack on the DA’s suggestion that Jacob Zuma debate Helen Zille. And so I will not attempt to provide any such analysis here; for, were I to do so, simply identifying and explaining all the logical errors inherent in his reasoning would require a response of some considerable length, never mind the rebuttal, an exercise for which I have neither the time nor the inclination.
(See here for a detailed response to a previous column by Naidu and good illustration of the sorts of logical errors he is prone to making.)
There is, however, another problem with Naidu’s article, aside from its perverse logic. And that is his use - or perhaps I should say misuse - of the English language; a problem of some gravity if one considers that his column appears prominently on the editorial page of a leading Sunday newspaper.
Nor is it a problem limited to the particular article identified above, but a common trait of almost all of his writing. Thus, what I will attempt to do here, is to identify some of the more significant problems with the way Naidu writes, with the hope that, by doing so, I will also illustrate some broader trends and bad habits that, unfortunately, often define South African journalism. | | Posted on 30/06/2008 | | |
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QUOTABLE QUOTES: JACOB ZUMA IN HIS OWN WORDS
Last week the DA held a press conference about ANC President Jacob Zuma, in which the party released a quotes document outlining some of the ANC president’s more controversial statements and positions. DA leader Helen Zille then wrote to Zuma, setting out his position on ten key issues - like HIV/Aids, the Arms Deal, the separation of party and state and his attitude to the Constitution and asking him to clarify his position with regard to each of them. (For more, see here).
What follows is a summary of the key quotes - 36 of Zuma’s most outrageous statements. They make for disturbing reading.
SELECTED OTHER EDITIONS OF QUOTABLE QUOTES:
• Contradiction and Doublespeak
• Merit or Quotas
• The ANC, the SABC and the media
• Crime and corruption
• Winning and losing
• Race and racism | | Posted on 24/06/2008 | | |
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THE ANC AND RELIGION - PART 5
The final section in the InsidePolitics series on the ANC and religion follows below. As indicated before, the series should be read as a whole, as each section actually forms part of a single essay. The five sections are:
1. Introduction
2. The ANC and Religion
3. Thabo Mbeki and the Truth
4. Jacob Zuma and God
5. Conclusion
Here, then, is the conclusion. | | Posted on 19/06/2008 | | |
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THE ANC AND RELIGION - PART 4
Part four in our five part series on the ANC and religion follows below. The five sections of the series are:
1. Introduction
2. The ANC and Religion
3. Thabo Mbeki and the Truth
4. Jacob Zuma and God
5. Conclusion
Tomorrow, we will conclude the series. | | Posted on 18/06/2008 | | |
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THE ANC AND RELIGION - PART 3
Today InsidePolitics brings you the third part of our series on the ANC and religion (third in a five part series). Having set the scene in parts one and two, we will now look at how religion manifests in - and is a helpful tool to explain - the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. We start with Mbeki. Again, just as a reminder, the five sections of this series follow below and, ultimately, they should all be read together.
1. Introduction
2. The ANC and Religion
3. Thabo Mbeki and the Truth
4. Jacob Zuma and God
5. Conclusion
The section on Jacob Zuma will follow tomorrow. | | Posted on 17/06/2008 | | |
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THE ANC AND RELIGION - PART 2
Today we bring you the second instalment from an essay on the ANC and religion.
The five instalments are:
1. Introduction
2. The ANC and Religion
3. Thabo Mbeki and the Truth
4. Jacob Zuma and God
5. Conclusion
Next week we will bring you the third section, on Thabo Mbeki and the truth. | | Posted on 13/06/2008 | | |