M&G reporters A group of American private investors on Monday made a last minute attempt to rescue the $5-billion satellite telephone service Iridium, which was forced into liquidation last Friday. Iridium, which has United States electronic giant Motorola as a shareholder and backer, was set a deadline of last Friday by the court to attract […]
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni It could be bubbles in the paint on the wall, or lights that won’t go off. When you lie awake at night and wonder what that strange scratching sound is, it might be a good idea to call a pest control company in the morning. Termites are in town once again […]
Steven Friedman WORM’S EYE VIEW We like politicians who act. We do not seem to like working out whether the actions solve our problems. Take Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete. With his enthusiastic support, police are “sorting out” inner Johannesburg amid gung-ho statements on the success of the operation and the number of […]
WARATAHS centre Tim Horan admitted on Thursday that he risks aggravating a troublesome foot injury by resuming for the Queensland Reds in Saturday night’s must-win Super 12 rugby match against the Waikato Chiefs. “You could set yourself back obviously if I hurt it again, there’s always a risk in that, but there’s a risk in […]
Jaspreet Kindra The government’s plan to privatise municipal services countrywide has created a gruelling test for the ruling alliance of the African National Congress, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party as they gear up for November’s local government elections. Cash-strapped municipalities will now have the option of […]
Barry Streek The South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) has strongly criticised the government for not taking it seriously, accusing some ministers of regarding it as a nuisance and condemning Parliament for not giving its reports meaningful attention. The 1999 HRC report, which has been tabled in Parliament, says the commission believes there is “a […]
The South African political landscape has changed dramatically in the six years since the first democratic elections, writes Howard Barrell Former apartheid salesman Pik Botha announces he wants to join the African National Congress. Thirty Afrikaner businessmen, many once funders of the apartheid National Party, cosy up to Thabo Mbeki by endorsing his presidency. And […]
There were signs in the week prior to the mass cult suicide that something unusual was going on Anna Borzello in Kanungu, Uganda A mass of tangled bodies lay sprawled on the floor of the makeshift church. The corrugated tin roof had fallen in from the pressure of the flames, and rain spattered down on […]
IN the first successful land claim dating back to the colonial era, more than 900 members of the Hlubi tribe are set to return to their ancestral lands in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The claim is for some 8600 hectares, comprising 43 farms near Estcourt. The transfer, which is expected to be made official in November, will […]
Microsoft’s games console aims to blow away the competition Jack Schofield Microsoft plans to go head-to-head with three giant Japanese corporations, Sony, Sega and Nintendo, for the games console market. Leading games companies have already started developing for the system, which is based on PC technology, and which will go on sale in the United […]