Mahendra's Ties

Wherefore art thou Mahendra?

2010-11-06T18:47:00.006+02:00

Just before the rugby starts this evening - click here for The Daily Maverick rugby correspondent's preview - a viewer has called in to the studio and asked whether the presenters are wearing ties in Springbok green or Irish green. Given that it's the SuperSport studio, I think the answer is pretty obvious...A more pressing concern is just what has happened to our Mahendra? The outrage over his

Mahendra in spat at SABC?

2010-02-22T16:40:00.002+02:00

Our favourite newsreader is making the news:"The SABC was on Sunday tight-lipped over a newspaper report that it has suspended its popular 19:00 newsreader, Mahendra Raghunath..."This is quite troubling. What can be done to save our cultural icon and natural successor to the Cruywagen throne?Read further.

Mahendra´s shoulder pads

2009-02-07T19:29:00.004+02:00

Have been embarrassingly slow on the uptake, since this column was written in November, but stumbled across the following by Lev David in his Quiet Riot column for the Mail&Guardian, and was cheered to find another reference to Mahendra in popular culture.MahendraI'm not going to complain about the dorky one-liners. Or the pervy lip-twist. And, frankly, I don't see why a man in an enlightened

Mahendra on Youtube!

2008-11-29T12:53:00.005+02:00

Following in the Spitting Image tradition, and based on Zapiro characters, a team that includes the cartoonist himself, satirist Ben Trovato, Lauren Beukes of Moxyland fame, and playwright Welcome Msomi (co-executive director), is working on a tv show called Z-news (pronounced Ze News, as in The News). Here's a clip featuring the Raghunath and former president Thabo Mbeki:The show has a lot of

... and in other news

2008-08-28T14:11:00.006+02:00

Famous Mahendra's Ties blog has still been unsuccessful in securing funding for a television for main writer RK. While our technicians are working on this technical problem, we bring you some photographs of our favourite reporter. On the left, Mr Raghunath as MC at some Ifa Lethu do. Top right: Raghunath, The Motivator (Motivators International).Our own Raghunath should, of course, never be

Tie tripping (not)

2008-08-12T23:15:00.005+02:00

What between the Raghunath´s erratic schedule and my own, I haven´t seen much of the man lately. I did, however, manage to spy him on Sunday night.After a pretty psychedelic weekend at Oppikoppi, I was anticipating being truly fully hey shoo wowed by his tie, but it was disappointingly straight for a change. Dull gold and white stripes, that didn´t play with my eyes. C´mon Mahendra - where is the

Riaan steals the limelight

2008-06-25T13:06:00.007+02:00

Time to confess my dirty little secret. The first time I ever thought about newsreaders and the ties they wore, it wasn´t Mahendra who was the man in question. It was Riaan. Riaan Cruywagen. I spotted a newspaper article about Riaan´s choice of tie - he had inadvertently (?) worn one in ANC colours. I don´t recall if this happened pre- or post-1994, but it was around that time. Dear Mahendra

Mahendra does it again!

2008-06-20T16:01:00.003+02:00

Last night Mahendra was wearing a charcoal suit, and a golden-yellow tie with nary a stripe to be seen. His tone of voice was customarily upbeat: only the Raghunath can speak about Tendai Biti facing a possibly death penalty as if he were speaking about a picnic in the park.

Mahendra the voice

2008-06-10T19:11:00.002+02:00

Sitting here working, with my back to the telly, I thought that SABC had replaced the 7 o'clock news with WWF. But it was Mahendra looking rather dandy in his Sahara desert sand suit, Johnson & Johnson's baby pink shirt and blue tie with thin purple and pink diagonal lines announcing the headlines in true wrestling style. WATCHOUTeTV!

Mahendra loses sparkle

2008-06-05T19:25:00.000+02:00

Watching the news isn't a fun experience Particularly not in South Africa. That's why I tend to rely on Mahendra's ties to bring some sparkle to the occasion. However, tonight Mahendra was wearing a monotone dark-blue tie, a light-blue shirt, and a grey jacket. Boring. And it certainly didn't take my mind off the xenophobia in South Africa, or the situation in Zimbabwe. Come on Mahendra, you need

In the most unlikely places

2008-05-27T13:22:00.003+02:00

Mahendra and a red tie pop up in this blog-post which, even if it shows no unerring focus on the said man's ties, does show that Mahendra and a tie perhaps are settling into the national unconscious:"And Mahendra's red tie is giving me a moer of a headache."

Monday Mahendra

2008-05-26T19:05:00.000+02:00

Switch on your television right now for the shocking site of the Raghunath decked out in a deep red, orange, and pastel blue tie, "complemented" by an orange shirt. I kid you not!Have also been wondering if our man's had a haircut? But I haven't been following him regularly, so I could be wrong on this...

Shimmering Tsepiso

2008-05-24T11:05:00.001+02:00

It's hard to keep my eagle eye focused on the more frivolous aspects of the news, when the actual news stories are so horrifying...Tsepiso did give me a laugh last night though, when she referred to "South Africa's biggest mineworkers' union, the National Union of MIneworkers...". Like, duh!She was wearing a shirt that I'm sure was one of Mahendra's ties in a previous life. The shiny fabric had a

Making the news

2008-05-21T22:35:00.001+02:00

Missed the news again tonight. Sorry, I know this is getting boring and repetitive for my readers. So, tomorrow, I shall endevour to find out how to use the parentals' PVR. Actually, make that the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I am going to help collect and sort clothes and food for the victims of the xenophobic attacks in Jozi. Perhaps our efforts shall make the news... I wonder if Mahendra will

A red-tie day

2008-05-20T19:26:00.000+02:00

Finally spotted Mahendra. I didn't notice that he's put on weight, perhaps he's been hitting the gym?He seemed rather up-beat, especially at the beginning of the bulletin, which provided a strange contrast to the subject matter of the news (xenophobic attacks). I really liked his tie - a glossy red - and sober grey jacket. This is my first attempt at live blogging, and Mahendra has just wished us

Still missing Mahendra

2008-05-20T11:18:00.000+02:00

Damnit, I missed the news again last night. Being back in a country that has a social life means I get to see Mahendra as rarely as when I was in Liechtenstein! I am going to see if he ever reads the lunch-time news. Such a pity he doesn't work for e.tv or we would have 24-hour access come June.

The return of the slacker

2008-05-18T15:45:00.002+02:00

I must confess, missed the news last night, and will be out again tonight. Places to see and people to do, etc. But I hope RK, AT, or CM (when she returns from Cannes!) will pick up the slack, now that I've started to post more regularly again.

Still no Mahendra

2008-05-17T10:28:00.002+02:00

So, last night Tsepiso was reading the news. She seems to have put on weight since I left, or perhaps it's just the softer hairstyle that doesn't make her eyes look so squinty. She was wearing a dull pink/lilac (can't remember it was that boring) jacket. Still no Mahendra. I cannot believe that my devotion is unrequited, so I hope he will reward us with an appearance this evening.

Who is she?

2008-05-16T11:15:00.000+02:00

So, I managed to convince my father to flick to the news last night, even though he was watching some cricket thing at the time. No Mahendra though - instead, a woman I haven't seen before. Could someone please enlighten me as to her name? I can't believe Mahendra wasn't reading the news to welcome me home - poor form!

Mahendra´s wet dream

2008-05-12T23:46:00.004+02:00

I´m kind of cheating, cos I already posted this on my personal blog. But hey, I got all misty eyed when I remembered my former life as a Mahendra-spotter, and it was personal. Nevereless, I thought the wider Mahendra-spotting community might also enjoy reading it, so here goes:"During my time over the seas there have been many people, places, and weather patterns that I´ve missed. One of these

Mahendra Wins the SAMTBlog Awards 2008

2008-04-03T13:41:00.002+02:00

Mahendra's Ties made a clean sweep in all two categories of the 2008 South African Mahendra's Ties Blog Awards. It took gold in the "Best Mahendra's Ties Blog" and the "Best Mahendra's Ties Blog At This I.P. Address" categories. Organisers of the young but rapidly popular SAMTBlog Award said that the competition was no contest and that Mahendra's Ties was always going to win, given its focus on

Erm, have you voted?

2008-03-11T07:04:00.005+02:00

Recent stressful events for this tv-blogger without a tv include a weeklong operation to kill a monster bougainvillea. Not that I was wielding the chainsaw, but, as there is no service alley to the backyard... well, actually, this is how it goes:1. Tree-feller arrives. As he walks through the house, he looks around and says: "Shame, how are you. Are you happy here? Are you happy in this house?

Vote Vote Vote!

2008-03-06T16:04:00.003+02:00

Here's your chance, vote for this blog-------------------------------------------------------->>>and vote for the Raghunath.

An idle thought from over the seas

2008-03-04T00:32:00.006+02:00

The organisers of the SA Blog Awards 2008 have yet to announce the "celebrity" non-blogging judges of the competition. I wonder if the Raghunath will crack the nod? We all know that at least he reads blogs, which, I assume, is more qualification than most SA B-List celebs. And imagine what a spiffing tie he would wear to the awards ceremony!

Mahendra's Sunday Times

2008-03-03T10:21:00.002+02:00

I see the Sunday Times carried a small little post about Mahendra's ties and Facebook groups, and the rigorous Mahendra Tie-Watch Project received a big fillip. However, they failed to mention this blog. They do quote Mahendra, though, and he refers to the blog, but doesn't mention it by name:The dressing is part of my personality, and the bloggers and Facebook crew have picked on my little