No image available
/ 7 February 2007

Hooked by the Pongola

Fishing. Even the word smacks of something men do, like golf, to ensure a few precious hours away from wives and girlfriends, or provide an excuse for a weekend away with the lads. It isn’t something immediately attractive to those who haven’t tried it.

No image available
/ 7 February 2007

Number crunching

Your bank sends you a letter offering you a chance to enrol in its "points" programme. For an annual fee of R180, you will earn one point for every R6 you spend on your credit card. For every 2 400 points you accumulate, you will receive a R100 gift voucher. You can also use your points to buy air miles: three points buys one mile; 20 000 miles buys a domestic flight. Do you join the programme?

No image available
/ 7 February 2007

SA – maths = crisis

There is a wonderful inherent logic and rationality to maths, and not just with equations. It is a great pity that the department of education is unable or unwilling to apply some of this rationale to dealing with the problem of low pass rates in maths in the country.

No image available
/ 7 February 2007

Skilling up

Radhika Patel* wanted to become a lawyer, so she studied towards a BA degree in legal studies and psychology. After assisting a colleague who was studying law, she found that law "was too mundane and not as glamourous as depicted on TV".

No image available
/ 7 February 2007

Let’s twist again, and other stories

Chubby Checker removes his overcoat, bends his knees slightly and slowly swivels his hips. The big guy is getting into it, lightly snapping his fingers, pointing his toes. ”The twist is putting out a cigarette with both feet, coming out of the shower, wiping off your bottom with a towel to the beat of the music,” he explains.

No image available
/ 7 February 2007

Same old story for Bafana

The stature of a World Cup-winning coach in harness or not, it was the same old story for Bafana Bafana on Tuesday when it became evident that overseas-based players Sibusiso Zuma and Elrio van Heerden would not be arriving in South Africa for Carlos Alberto Parreira’s first training camp at the FNB Stadium.

No image available
/ 6 February 2007

US to create new military command for Africa

President George Bush has approved a Pentagon plan to create a new military command for operations in Africa to coordinate action and counter potential threats from the continent, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday. ”This command will enable us to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current arrangement,” Gates told a congressional panel.