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	<title>Low Opinions</title>
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	<description>Journalism, the media and politics</description>
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		<title>Low Opinions</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com</link>
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		<item>
		<title>More chiefs, but where&#8217;s the service delivery?</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/more-chiefs-but-wheres-the-service-delivery/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/more-chiefs-but-wheres-the-service-delivery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:19:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economics journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy & Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media and journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ANC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Cape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Statistics South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=539</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was given a little booklet by Statistics South Africa entitled Stats in Brief 2009, and a very useful little document is is too. Hardly bigger than a Kindle screen, it contains in its 200-odd pages a wealth of statistical data on South Africa, from economic statistics to tourism figures. All the data in this little [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=539&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/more-chiefs-but-wheres-the-service-delivery/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>ANC&#8217;s Mantashe suggests the Press Ombudsman is biased. In fact, he&#8217;s been rather kind to the government.</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/ancs-mantashe-suggests-the-press-ombudsman-is-biased-in-fact-hes-been-rather-kind-to-the-government/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/ancs-mantashe-suggests-the-press-ombudsman-is-biased-in-fact-hes-been-rather-kind-to-the-government/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:03:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media and journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newspapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South African media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[African National Congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ANC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gwede Mantashe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media tribunal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[press ombudsman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=532</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has resurrected the idea of a statutory tribunal to police the media. According to a report in Business Day, he accused the media of &#8220;negativity&#8221; in their coverage of the ANC government and said the Press Ombudsman is unable to deal effectively with unethical journalism, which he claimed was [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=532&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/ancs-mantashe-suggests-the-press-ombudsman-is-biased-in-fact-hes-been-rather-kind-to-the-government/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>Mail &amp; Guardian wins victory for press freedom</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/mail-guardian-wins-victory-for-press-freedom/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/mail-guardian-wins-victory-for-press-freedom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2010 08:21:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media and journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newspapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cartoon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interdict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prohpet Muhammad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zapiro]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=525</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mr Justice Mayat turned down an application for an interdict to muzzle the Mail &#38; Guardian. The application was brought late last night by a Muslim organisation when it learnt the newspaper was publishing a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad (see my previous post on this). As a judge and Muslim, Judge Mayat said, he was bound [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=525&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/mail-guardian-wins-victory-for-press-freedom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Not a great day for freedom of speech&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/not-a-great-day-for-freedom-of-speech/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/not-a-great-day-for-freedom-of-speech/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2010 07:07:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media and journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newspapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South African media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cartoon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interdict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Muhammad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prophet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=516</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This from Die Burger (via Legalbrief): Freedom of speech is central to a stand-off between a Cape Town art gallery and a national company which has demanded that one of the artworks be removed. According to a report in Die Burger, Pam Golding Properties has demanded the removal of the artwork ‘Hated Communities’ by Richard [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=516&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/not-a-great-day-for-freedom-of-speech/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>NYT&#8217;s Norris transforms humdrum market story</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/nyts-norris-transforms-humdrum-market-story/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/nyts-norris-transforms-humdrum-market-story/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 May 2010 07:37:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economics journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy & Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media and journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Floyd Norris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Times]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=509</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What a great example of financial writing from the New York Times&#8217; Floyd Norris, who lifts the normally humdrum market story to new heights: Combine one part nervous traders, one part Greek crisis and one part trader error. Stir in one part central bank complacency. Bring to boil. Panic. Read the full story here. Filed [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=509&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/nyts-norris-transforms-humdrum-market-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>In defence of Julius Malema&#8217;s right to free speech</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/in-defence-of-julius-malemas-right-to-free-speech/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/in-defence-of-julius-malemas-right-to-free-speech/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:01:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equality Court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freedom of expression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freedom of speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hate speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Julius Malema]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=494</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I believe in freedom of expression. Our Constitution protects the right to freedom of expression. That is why I cannot welcome the Equality Court&#8217;s ruling that Malema was guilty of hate speech when he commented on the young woman who had accused President Jacob Zuma of rape. Please understand that I am not defending Malema. I [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=494&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/in-defence-of-julius-malemas-right-to-free-speech/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>McBride defamation judgment is a step backward for press freedom</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/mcbride-defamation-judgment-is-a-step-backward-for-press-freedom/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/mcbride-defamation-judgment-is-a-step-backward-for-press-freedom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:07:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media and journalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newspapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South African media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amnesty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[damages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[defamation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magoo's Bar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert McBride]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Supreme Court of Appeal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TRC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Truth and Reconciliation Commission]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=490</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to Appeal Court's convoluted logic, something can be factually correct and untrue at the same time. That makes a journalists's job rather difficult!<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=490&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/mcbride-defamation-judgment-is-a-step-backward-for-press-freedom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>Does our Constitution protect polygamy? I don&#8217;t think so.</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/does-our-constitution-protect-polygamy-i-dont-think-so/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/does-our-constitution-protect-polygamy-i-dont-think-so/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:18:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jacob Zuma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justice Malala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polygamy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=486</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I agree with columnist Justice Malala that polygamy is a selfish and predatory practice &#8211; but is it, as it now seems widely believed, a constitutionally protected practice? I am not a constitutional expert, but I can read, and I can&#8217;t find any reference at all to polygamy in the constitution. What the constitution does [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=486&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/does-our-constitution-protect-polygamy-i-dont-think-so/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>No Mr President, it is not unconstitutional to criticise your culture</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/no-mr-president-it-is-not-unconstitutional-to-criticise-your-culture/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/no-mr-president-it-is-not-unconstitutional-to-criticise-your-culture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:11:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jacob Zuma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moral code]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polygamy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=473</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[President Zuma has called for a national discussion about our “moral code” as a nation because, he says, it is unconstitutional to judge others by the standards of one’s own culture. “Each one of us must be respected,&#8221; Zuma said, according to News24.com. “That&#8217;s what our Constitution says. No matter how you feel, some of us have [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=473&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/no-mr-president-it-is-not-unconstitutional-to-criticise-your-culture/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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		<title>Billions of rand later, Old Mutual may be  returning to its roots</title>
		<link>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/billions-of-rand-later-old-mutual-may-be-returning-to-its-roots/</link>
		<comments>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/billions-of-rand-later-old-mutual-may-be-returning-to-its-roots/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:03:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>brandr08</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy & Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insurer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Old Mutual]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sanlam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skandia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/?p=470</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So Old Mutual has slapped a for-sale sign on its US business. Speculation is rife that the insurer may also offload its European business Skandia, to concentrate on expanding its presence in Africa. Wouldn&#8217;t that be a rich irony? After pouring billions of rand down the drain in disastrous overseas ventures, the geniuses who run [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=robertbrand.wordpress.com&#038;blog=5516729&#038;post=470&#038;subd=robertbrand&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/billions-of-rand-later-old-mutual-may-be-returning-to-its-roots/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Robert</media:title>
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