Paul Kirk When Boer General Christian de Wet visited Europe in 1902 to seek funds to rebuild a South Africa nearly ruined by three years of the Anglo-Boer South African War, a journalist jokingly asked him if he could ever have invaded London. After serious contemplation, De Wet said: “Yes, give me 500 men like […]

Paul Trueman goes online to chat to like- minded souls about his passions Before free Internet service providers (ISP), Amazon.com, portals, broadband and browser wars, before even the World Wide Web itself, there were newsgroups. A great example of an often overlooked facet of the Internet, newsgroups are an online reminder of when the Internet […]

Barry Streek speaks to former (and future?)politician Van Zyl Slabbert, whose new book is just out Van Zyl Slabbert, whose book Afrikaner Afrikaan (Tafelberg) was released in Cape Town this week, says he is not involved politically today and that he is not involved in any discussions with President Thabo Mbeki, whom he openly respects. […]

Channel vision Three local programmes this week, two of which demonstrate how excellent is the standard often being achieved and one, a feeble copy of an already bleary import. Eugene Paramoer’s half-hour Boss of the Road was as fine a television discourse as you’ll find anywhere: a totally unsentimental look into the vicious warfare of […]

Economists say the recent spate of liquidations are a sign that an 18-month recession is over. Donna Block and Mungo Soggot report The gold price has slumped below $300 again, there is a spate of liquidations and world markets are jittery – but economists remain bullish about South Africa’s growth prospects next year. The liquidations, […]

PIETER Strydom’s hard hitting century led Border to a respectable total of 324 for six wickets at the close of play on the first day of their SuperSport Series match against Griqualand West at Buffalo Park on Thursday. Strydom’s innings was split into two distinctive halves with the first 50 being a quietly composed affair […]

on Walton Pantland Workers at Cape Town’s Athlone power station are afraid. They’ve seen several of their colleagues die of asbestosis, and more are looking ill. “You see a guy beginning to lose weight at work and you know what’s wrong, even if he doesn’t say anything,” says Trevor Rieb. Rieb (47), who has worked […]

Paul Kirk An entire shift from the Durban North police station faces possible dismissal from the South African Police Service (SAPS) as disciplinary hearings begin on charges that they aided some of the country’s top drug dealers. The exact number of policemen facing charges is unknown but the station commissioner, Superintendent Beenash Jaipal, is among […]

libraries William Pretorius The Greater Johannesburg Library is in a crisis. Display cases in the foyer are full of book covers, ranging from non- fiction to African novels and literacy readers, a piquant selection. But these are not coming attractions. They are books the library wants to buy but can’t afford. There just isn’t any […]

>From Paul Simon’s Graceland to the Rugby World Cup, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has brought traditional a cappella to the rest of the world, writes Lucy O’Brien ‘You can buy the biggest house in America, but it’s not home. Where the mother lives – that is home,” says Joseph Shabalala, leader of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He […]