trial Heather Hogan The trial of Wouter Basson, which began last year, has proved the most sensational showcase of apartheid-era atrocities in South African legal history. The court has heard evidence of, among other things, how: l In 1989, Civil Co-operation Bureau (CCB) member Abram “Slang” van Zyl received a monkey foetus from Staal Burger, […]
Barry Streek Former homeland leader Prince James Mahlangu, appointed to a senior government post in Mpumalanga after defecting back to the African National Congress from the United Democratic Movement last month, handed the UDM a medical certificate on his departure stating he had brain damage. Mahlangu, a former ANC MP who joined the UDM last […]
Cameron Duodu LETTER FROM THE NORTH To anyone who takes even a rudimentary interest in African history, the name Asante stands out as one of the most valiant of the nations that attempted to halt the incursions of the European powers in the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, it was not until 1874 that […]
Riaan Wolmarans PREVIEW OFTHEWEEK There is one dance tune guaranteed to send people running towards the dance floor to groove to its pumping rhythm and beautiful melody. This tune is For an Angel, probably the biggest hit that top German DJ Paul van Dyk – who is playing in Cape Town and Johannesburg on June […]
The sheer, reckless imbecility of the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea is breathtaking. The fighting, which began in 1998 and flared again last week, seems totally pointless. Its ostensible cause is a dispute over demarcation of the two countries’ 1 000km border. To the extent that there is a half comprehensible explanation for the conflict, […]
Conditions for credible democratic elections do not exist in Zimbabwe, says an international pre-election observation team Mercedes Sayagues Zimbabwe’s parliamentary elections, to be held on June 24 to 25, have dim prospects of being free and fair. Even in the likely scenario that the violence engulfing the country will decrease as international observers arrive, the […]
Andy Capostagno RUGBY A new Springbok squad with a new captain and a Super 12 dream final in the same week. It’s almost enough to make you forget that, once again, the lone South African team got eliminated in the semifinals. Almost enough to make you forget that, once again, South Africa’s Super 12 franchises […]
Harry Pearson Cricket is often praised as an elegant game, but it’s fair to say that not since the days of Asif Iqbal and his billowing flares has the game produced any player who could remotely be described as a fashion leader. These days cricketers do their best to look hip and modern with their […]
In an article entitled “‘Rock Bottom’ Morale at Wits”, the Mail & Guardian turns its attention to the question of restructuring at the university. The entire tertiary sector is currently grappling with this issue and we welcome attempts to promote awareness about and debate on this crucial topic. In order to take the debate forward, […]
Last week Kay Hassan was formally handed the DaimlerChrysler award for South African Contemporary Art 2000 Matthew Krouse Stuttgart, May 18. Amid fanfare and a notable degree of overkill, South African artist Kay Hassan received the newly launched and already coveted first DaimlerChrysler award for South African Contemporary Art 2000. Much has recently been written […]