In 1972 a young woman living in England, just out of school and waiting to go to university, travelled to Zambia to work as a volunteer teacher at a mission school. She returned home to England via South Africa, catching a boat from Cape Town to Southampton. She only spent a few days in transit […]

Heather Hogan Bushy Molefe, Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota’s personal assistant, will appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on Monday on charges of child abuse. According to the police, Molefe is charged with molesting the 11-year-old daughter of another official in the Ministry of Defence. The charge was laid at the Pretoria West police station […]

NEW FICTION THE ARTIST’S WIDOW by Shena Mackay (Vintage) Now out in paperback, this is Shena Mackay’s first novel since her Booker- shortlisted The Orchard on Fire (1996). Though perhaps not quite as gripping, The Artist’s Widow has some interesting ideas and amusing characters. Through a private viewing of paintings by the recently deceased husband […]

Despite the storm surrounding the first visit of Sergio Garcia, Andy Capostagno tips Nick Price or Colin Montgomerie to pocket the prize money ‘I don’t know how we’re ever going to top this one, said Nick Price after winning the Million Dollar Challenge for the third time last year. Price had prevailed in exceptional circumstances, […]

Stefaans Brmmer The Cabinet is expected to “bless” the construction of a controversial new nuclear power station in January, but environmentalists have threatened legal action against the government if it gets the nod. Eskom confirms it will be briefing the Cabinet on the project in January, and says it hopes this will result in a […]

Andrew Muchineripi Soccer comment One wag interrupted a prolonged perod of silence at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Wednesday night to ask a companion what the difference was between the Titanic and South African soccer. The Titantic cannot sink any further, came the sharp reply to much laughter, and while it may have been a […]

Paul Kirk Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini spent R92 500 – of taxpayers’ money – on fumigating his homes for cockroaches in the past year. The Mail & Guardian has invoices detailing the king’s expenditure, which includes R400 000 a month on a Lear jet, R16 000 repairing his jacuzzi and steam room and R12 000 […]

John Stremlau SECOND LOOK Whatever ails former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, his presence in a private Pretoria clinic carries a political disease that could weaken South Africa’s international image and the vitality of its foreign policy. Human rights define South Africa, domestically and internationally. It is the mainspring for the nation’s extraordinary prestige and […]

Khadija Magardie Educationists from across South Africa attended a three-day conference organised by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), which has told the government that there is no common vision on the future of higher education. There are severe problems related to availability of financial and human resources, inadequate higher education policy expertise and a […]

Stephen Gray Review of the week In 1981, Mbongeni Ngema himself, clandestinely in the alcove of what is now the Gramadoelas Restaurant at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre, launched the wonderful protest cabaret, Woza Albert!. He had little in the world except talent to back it, but was going to go everywhere. One of the characters he […]