Mboniso Sigonyela The rand’s weakness against the United States dollar is well documented, but the South African currency is also failing to hold its ground against other African currencies. The rand has recorded new lows against the pound and the dollar since the terror attacks on the US on September 11. On Thursday the currency […]

Stefaans Brmmer in London The fear of full-scale war in Afghanistan is threatening to unravel the fragile threads of democracy and stability in the Central Asian former Soviet republics to the north. Central Asia is dotted with small republics boasting the “-stan” suffix Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Kirghizistan home to a bewildering array of ethnic […]

I entirely agree with Robert Mattes (September 17) that there is no logic to blaming the United States for the terrorist attack on itself. It is contrived (by long-standing axe-grinders) and disingenuous to do so. The litany of sins usually brought against the US stem from, among others, real and perceived abuses during the Cold […]

France, a country that does things differently, is worth paying attention to contretemps Richard Calland It’s 2.10pm September 11. The TGV Paris-Bordeaux Express leaves the Gare de Montparnesse on time. No surprise there. Nor that the carriage is so clean; the engine so smooth and quiet; and its motion so rapid. You can, I believe, […]

Horse of the Year Celtic Grove will be a warm order to win his debut as a four-year-old in the R200000 grade 2 Skeaping Trophy over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday. The handsome Fort Wood gelding has notched up four of his 10 wins (from his past 13 starts) to date over this testing mile, […]

My name is Phumzile Dlamini. I am a postgraduate student of Museum and Heritage Studies living on Robben Island. I am writing to respond to “Lesotho steps intto Robben Island ray” (September 21) The article used a fictitious name for a survivor of sexual harassment on the island that resembles my own. The names Phumla […]

The Buccaneers have been sailing stormy waters, dogged by on- and off-the-field problems mostly of their own making Ntuthuko Maphumulo “Once a pirate always a pirate” is a slogan that has finally caught up with reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Orlando Pirates. The Buccaneers have been dogged by controversy since the 2001/2002 season began. […]

Linda Martindale Using a computer is daunting enough for beginners, especially if you are forced to do it in a language that is not your own. But last week South African firm Translate.org.za released the entire computing experience in Xhosa, covering the full desktop, Web browser, word processor, spreadsheet and e-mail application. The programmes have […]

Analysis Ian Urbina The United States is about to run into a minefield that could have catastrophic ramifications across the globe. Escalating military threats are increasing regional instability as many populations are growing resentful of US ultimatums. Terrorists have vowed to widen their attacks beyond US territories if a war ensues. It may be time […]

Jubie Matlou The creation of a technology-free regulatory regime for information and communication technologies is what occupies the mind of Victor Moche most of the time. “The law is still technology specific. There is a need to move towards the licensing of services as opposed to the licensing of technologies,” he says. For Moche, flexibility […]