Aaron Nicodemus Nostradamus, a French physician whose real name was Michel de Nostredame, was buried in a Parisian church in 1566. He wrote over 1 000 poetic prophecies for the future, and many believe half of them have come true. He allegedly predicted with nearly uncanny foresight the French Revolution, the rise and fall of […]

Marianne Merten The year started with a blast in Cape Town. On New Year’s Day 1999 a pipe bomb ripped apart a car in the V&A Waterfront parking, injuring two people, but resulting in no arrests. The year is ending with a bang – and confusion. Police and politicians sprang into action in November after […]

CONTROVERSIAL former Truth Commision investigator Dumisa Ntsebeza is one of seventeen black acting judges appointed on Tuesday by Justice Minister Dullah Omar, who said he aimed to widen the pool of potential candidates for full-time positions to “ensure that it will be possible to promote representivity at a much faster rate”. Omar’s most senior appointment […]

intelligence and depth Gavin Evans It’s in the nature of those who attract epthets like “great”, “the greatest”, and now, of course, “the greatest of the millennium”, that a large proportion of the population should at least have vivid recall of how, why, and where this exalted human being came to their vicarious attention. I […]

Robert Kirby remembers his childhood and the part three men society politely termed ‘mentally deficient’ played in it My first clear memories of the Durban where I was born and grew up were of the war years, the early Forties. A domestic world of absent fathers and uncles, mothers’ heads bent to static-filled wartime radio […]

“This man is the person who raped me, sir. It’s very difficult to forget his face.” – Journalist Charlene Smith, asked by rape accused Johannes Zinto’s lawyer how she can be sure Zinto was her alleged rapist “Although it is morally reprehensible to rape one’s own child, the man’s sexual deviancy was limited to his […]

Shaun de Waal This year saw the centenary of the birth of the man considered by many to be the United States’s foremost composer. Duke Ellington was born in 1899 and died in 1974: his lifespan covered three quarters of this century, and more than 50 of those years were spent making wonderful music. James […]

HUNDREDS of former Namibian guerrilla fighters have threatened to remain camped at Ondangwa Airport in the north of the country. They say they will stay despite a call from the Cabinet Technical Committee on Ex-Combatants to return to their homes and await news on jobs they have been promised. At least 580 ex-combatants are currently […]

report card Making the Grade What the scores mean A – Take a bow. You’re doing an excellent job B – Good, but room for improvement C – You’re OK, but that’s all we can say for you D – Get your act together. You’re verging on useless E – Do yourself and the country […]

EASTERN CAPE: Makhenkesi Stofile Grade: B+ In a style not dissimilar from that of President Thabo Mbeki, “Stof” has become impatient for delivery and intolerant of inefficiency. He has insisted that African National Congress mayoral candidates are appointed by him. He has held an anti- corruption conference which resulted in practical suggestions and time frames. […]