No image available
/ 18 February 2008

Makoni’s bold hope

Presidential candidate Simba Makoni used the word “renewal” a total of 13 times during an exclusive interview with the Mail & Guardian, saying Zimbabwe needed fresh leadership to “heal the wounds” of 28 years of President Robert Mugabe’s rule. Makoni, who declared his candidacy recently, predicts a landslide win against Mugabe.

No image available
/ 17 February 2008

A serious slap in the face

Pity the judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). Fifteen years ago this court — then led by the chief justice — was the highest court of appeal in South Africa. The prestige and standing of the judges serving on this court were unchallenged among the majority of influential South African lawyers and judges, and academics pored over their decisions and wrote learned articles about their decisions.

No image available
/ 17 February 2008

Decisively dissed

Decisively dissed and dismissed in the <i>Mail & Guardian</i>, the conference on the Paradoxes of the Public Sphere that took place at Wits University recently was ­written off by an offended journalist as a grilled-prawn, wine-swilling affair that left the great minds of the Native Club off its guest list, writes Carolyn Hamilton.

No image available
/ 17 February 2008

Picnic-site blast kills over 80 Afghans

A suicide bomber killed more than 80 people at a picnic spot in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar on Sunday in the most deadly attack since the Taliban were ousted in 2001, the government said. The attack will add urgency to a debate about how the United States and Afghanistan’s other allies can help stem militant violence and promote stability.

No image available
/ 17 February 2008

Zuma plans to wed again

Jacob Zuma, president of the African National Congress (ANC), husband to two wives, is planning to take a third, a media report said on Sunday. Zuma (65) married 33-year-old Nompumelelo Ntuli, the mother of two of his children, in early January.

No image available
/ 17 February 2008

New Zealand record charts go to the dogs

It’s a doggone chartbuster — a song audible only to dogs has topped New Zealand record charts, and is looking to go global. A Very Silent Night, recorded at a frequency only dogs can hear, was so popular among owners it hit number one at Christmas, but has been receiving mixed responses from listeners.

No image available
/ 17 February 2008

Turbulence for global aviation

Tough times are ahead for global aviation despite a return to profit last year, with many airlines mired in debt, rising fuel bills and fears of a looming United States recession, industry officials said on Monday. The global aviation industry returned to profitability in 2007 but earnings of $5,6-billion were only less than 2% of $4900-billion in revenue.