Matters of the Spiritual Heart

An appreciation: Ever-since I was introduced to the ‘jazz’ artists called Kurt Elling, I have become irreversibly hooked. A perfect stranger called Lesego had given us a ride home one evening after the Poetry Africa festival’s final concert. We were all still buzzing from a great performance by Hip Hop Pantsula and some herbs were

Poetics: Global Afrikanness and The Legacy of Eskia Mphahlele

As I have mentioned on one of my earlier posts, I leave books everywhere. I do not only sell them, I also share many books among my friends and colleagues and sometimes perfect strangers. One of my Eritrean friends runs a restaurant called Habesha Cafe’ on 124 Helen Joseph Road, Durban. When I visited last-night

Sympathy for the Devils? or Humane Relationships vs Personality Cults

“The ANC is not a socialist party. It has never pretended to be one, it has never said it was, and it is not trying to be. It will not become one by decree for the purpose of pleasing its ‘left’ critics.” – Thabo Mbeki, 1984 ( Saul, ‘Cry for the Beloved Country’, in Jacobs

The Law of Ma’at

There are few things on earth as insidious as religion. It does not matter how the religious adherents spin it, the religions of the world have been some of the main causes of conflict, social and family divisions and strife. The challenge is not always the doctrines themselves or their often contradicting  interpretations, it is

Kemetic Science: Ma’at and Your Emotions

According to one Master Teacher Ra Un Nefer Amen of Kemetic Spiritual Science ( Ausar Auset Society), there is nothing mysterious or mystical about metaphysics. It is all purely a matter of energy-in motion, also known as e-motions. “The truly metaphysical forces that operate directly on physical matter and events are none other than our

Artsy Scenes: People I am among

Ancient Wisdom: On death and impermanence

For as long as I can remember I have kept a book of Buddhist teachings called The Mirror of Mindfulness. It has been about two years since I last saw it among my books, but then again, as much as I love collecting, reading and keeping books, I also have the tendency to give them

The Intuitive Intelligence of Rastafari

Half the story has never been told. When will it be told? In fact has it been told while the audience is half distracted or simply oblivious to the tale? Only time will tell. In a paper that I wrote for the Rastafari United Front’s 1st Research Colloquium on Rastafari (Date 19-20 December 2015), held

Ucwaningo Ngezinhlelo Zikahulumeni

Imibono: http://www.localgovernmentaction.org/zu/content/uhlelo-lwentuthuko-oludidiyele http://www.rdm.co.za/politics/2016/03/03/why-sa-s-municipalities-are-failing-and-how-to-fix-them Sesifukile isikhathi sokhetho sohulumeni basemakhaya. Engabe abantu bayawazi yini amalungelo abo nokuthi amandla abo bangawasebenzisa kanjani? Kubalulekile ukuthi izakhamuzi zazi ukuthi imithetho isungulwa kanjani futhi isetshenziswa kanjani. Kuningi okunye esingakudingida sise sihlaziye izimiso zomthethosisekelo wezwe. Njengomuntu onothando lwabantu nozibandakanya kakhulu nangokuzikhandala ekuthuthukisweni kwezimpilo zaBantu, ngithe ake ngididiyele lezizinsiza … Loluhlelo lusazoqhubeka …

Poetics: the fertility of just struggles

In a journal called A Poetics of Resistance ‘Womens Writing in El Salvador, South Africa and the U.S. by Mary K.DeShazer, the emminent writer, activist Alice Walker writes this poem: “We alone can devalue gold by not caring / if it falls or rises in the market place Whereever there is gold / there is