In Joburg, it’s that time of year again. The cyclists invaded, took over the city, banned everyone else from the road, and had their private lycra-fetish party. Here’s what I think of that.

The sOccketball is an invention by a bunch of American college kids, aimed squarely at the sub-Saharan African market. It just got a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award. The problem? It’s useless, and the idea that Africans can’t look after themselves is supremely condescending. I explain why in today’s Daily Maverick column: Let’s return the beads

Good morning. The crowd is trickling into the rather interesting warehouse-style building on Main Street where this year’s TEDx Johannesburg is about to kick off somewhat late. After a catastrophic computer failure, I’m on a borrowed MacBook Pro. I have no idea how to work an Apple, but at least I’m connected, so that’s a start.

The Twitter hashtag for the event is #TEDxJhb.

This will be a single-post live blog. Reload this post regularly for chronological updates. Any regular text is (roughly) direct reporting or quotation. If I insert my own comments, I’ll put them in square brackets.

Hope you enjoy not being here as much as I expect those who are here will enjoy it.

Let’s go! Read the rest of this entry »

The laws about seat belts and motorcycle helmets are a direct infringement on your liberty by an overweening nanny state. This week’s column in The Daily Maverick stirred up a great deal of emotional response: Away with fascist seatbelt laws.

In the venerable tradition of nicknaming communications ministers, the new appointee, Radakrishna Padayachie, has earned the hopeful moniker of Jewelweed. This is another name for Indian Balsam, which is reputedly a cure for Poison Ivy. Read the column.