We are not always as innovative in this computer age of ours as we think. Often we borrow from history to describe or name things that are very much contemporary. Good examples are the expression all the bells and whistles and the word gadget. But then sometimes we are innovative, as  with the South African slang word magoeters.

The US military strategy in Afghanistan is fracturing, but what matters most now in Washington is the domestic electoral timetable, writes Paul Rogers.

New research shows that most new managers are out of their depth when entering management positions. The research by Development Dimensions International, a global talent management operation with 1,000 associates in 42 offices in 26 countries, found that most managers surveyed don’t know what it takes to succeed and weren’t actually ready for what their jobs entailed.

A one-day summit attended by Nato and other leaders last Friday in Turkey asked United Nations special envoy, Abdul Elah al-Khatibe  to negotiate a peace deal with Col Gaddafi that could see the Libyan leader stay in the country after stepping down. But by previously bringing charges against Gaddafi in the International Criminal Court (ICC), a devastating own goal might have already been scored against any efforts at a negotiated settlement.

Calls for American officials who have allegedly committed human rights abuse crimes, especially during the days of the Bush administration, to be prosecuted gained new momentum last week when a major Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on accountability for United States torture was released. For the first time in history international legal action for such crimes against Americans might be at hand.

As the world this week celebrates with Nelson Mandela his 93^rd birthday, it is perhaps appropriate to look at the question of leaders and leadership in Africa, and particularly in South Africa – realising like every other part of the world we are capable of  both the best and the worst.

England is vowing for the top-spot in the Reliance ICC Test championship in the upcoming series against India starting on Thursday at cricket’s capital, Lord’s.
South Africa, currently ranked second, will be observing the four-test series with some interest.

Samoa dealt South Africa and Australia a harsh reality check this weekend, just seven weeks before the start of the Rugby World Cup, with a stunning 32-23 upset of the Wallabies in Sydney. The tiny nation with a population of only 180 000, outscored the second-ranked rugby team in the world four tries to two in their first-ever win over the Wallabies and sending a message to South Africa.

South Africa is currently reeling under an escalation of strike action, a by-product of the annual mid-year wage negotiations season. Wage demands seem to be excessively high, yet labour leaders are railing against high rewards for top executives. The unions seem to be acting with extreme militancy, encouraged by their leadership.

Which government voice must be believed regarding the end-of-the-year  United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP17) on climate change in Durban? If it is the voice of President Jacob Zuma, then government won’t be happy with anything less than a “legally binding agreement”. His environment minister, Edna Molewa, seems to think differently.

The release last week of the Public Protector’s second report condemning the South African Police Service’s multi-million-rand office lease deals in Pretoria and Durban has presented President Jacob Zuma with a major political challenge. With only two courses of action available, either one will have serious political ramifications for him.

Resolution 1973 of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which allows NATO to secure a no-fly zone over Libya to stop President Gaddafi from slaughtering his own people has become, not unexpectedly, a major fiasco. To date all attempts to end the escalating civil war, including that of President Jacob Zuma on behalf of the African Union (AU), have flopped spectacularly and if not resolved soon, Libya might well become another Afghanistan or Somalia.

A debate about inherent flaws in the way the South African economy functions in its delivery of results for the majority of the country’s population is probably more important than most people realise, and is of wider international interest. But the tone that the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and its leader Julius Malena are trying to set this debate is causing more damage than good to the case for finding a more sustainable economic dispensation.

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