Khadija Magardie Current research indicates that at least one in every 10 South Africans will contract a new sexually transmitted disease (STD) this year. According to Department of Health statistics, the numbers of STDs are spiralling. Every year over four million new cases are reported. Given the close association between STDs and HIV/Aids, it is […]

Paul Kirk Prince Gideon Zulu, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for welfare, is apparently allowing a close friend to sell state pensioners private funeral policies at pension pay points across the province. The private insurance scheme does not make a provision for policyholders to designate a beneficiary, entitling its operators to pay out their takings to whomever […]

Barry Streek Minister of Correctional Services Ben Skosana has told Parliament that there were only 2E600 known HIV cases in South African prisons at the end of December last year. His figures of HIV-infected prisoners have, however, been hotly disputed by the Democratic Party. In reply to questions tabled in the National Assembly by Johann […]

Jill Waterman FNB Vita Dance Umbrella has a record 200 entries for this year’s Johannesburg contemporary dance platform. The development and promotion of contemporary dance is the key concept driving the Dance Umbrella and the sister dance festivals in Cape Town, Durban and Grahamstown. FNB Vita is clearly achieving its goals through the success and […]

Andy Capostagno RUGBY The first time anybody mentioned cost was when the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) suggested that it could not afford the extra camera(s) required to assist the “tellyref”. Until that moment the Super 12 was the competition where size mattered and money was no object. Now Australia wants not one, but […]

Deon Potgieter BOXING An air of eager anticipation was present as the combatants of the “Night of the Legends” boxing tournament, to be staged at Carnival City on Saturday night, came face to face on Tuesday afternoon at the pre-fight medical. Although the main event between “Baby” Jake Matlala and Hawk Makepula has captivated fans, […]

Deon Potgieter BOXING One of the highlights of the most intriguing boxing bill in recent memory will be the presence at ringside of Irichelle Duran, daughter of the legendary Roberto Duran. Irichelle Duran has signed with Golden Gloves, the promoters of the tournament, and will be making her professional boxing debut in South Africa on […]

apartheid Lungisile Ntsebeza and Fred Hendricks CROSSFIRE Patekile Holomisa’s article ”Ubukhosi the bedrock of African democracy” (February 11 to 17) raised a number of critical issues about the nature of democracy and the future of traditional authorities in South Africa. We feel it is necessary to correct some of the distortions, half-truths and sweeping statements […]

Matthew Krouse REVIEW OFTHEWEEK William Wharton’s Birdy – widely known as a bestselling novel and an Alan Parker movie – makes for an intermittently moving piece of stage drama, even though Naomi Wallace’s adaptation is in a writing style that’s somewhat out of date. Like Peter Schaffer’s Equus, it’s about a youth who develops an […]

Ivor Powell The Pretoria High Court will next week consider a case that could result in the removal of Judge Willem Heath from his embattled special investigating unit and the reversal of all the unit’s state asset retrievals. This could mean that the state would have to return the millions of rand it has reclaimed […]