Time to Talk About Zwelethu
Trigger Warning: violence against women, sexual violence, child abuse “Murder suspect’s art could make a killing” – The Times, May 26 2014 It’s a catchy title and a clever pun, presumably formulated so as to incite a carefully considered low-level provocation while also making sure the reader is aware that this is a light-hearted, […]
Oscar Pistorius: Judgment Day
As we await the verdict in the Oscar Pistorius trial, Percy Mabandu looks at the Blade Runner’s primal features and takes a stab at what they say about us all In a world that has lost touch with visceral or primordial reality, Oscar Pistorius has come to represent both a return to all things primal […]
A Week in the Life of the JSC
In April 2014, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) met in Cape Town to interview candidates for appointment as judges. As he has done for most of the JSC’s sessions since 2009, Chris Oxtoby was there to observe what happened. It was Oscar Pistorius season – as the trial resumed following a postponement, so the […]
Pistorius & the Burglar Narrative
For society to function, there are unwritten rules that must not be made explicit − hidden rules that allow official rules their force and function. The notion of the swaart gevaar, that fear of ‘black peril’, stems from subliminal abidance to rules unspoken. It grounds the rationale of libidinal and economic commerce between parties. One […]