David Shapshak and Joyce Barrett The Cape Town Olympic bid team knew an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member was “available to the highest bidder”, but it did not make use of this information to influence the bid. Caught up in the biggest corruption scandal of the IOC’s 105-year history, disgraced Swaziland IOC member David Sibandze […]

Karlin Lillington reports from San Francisco on a recent encryption conference Programming Satan’s computer – that’s how United States cryptography expert Bruce Schneier describes creating encryption software, programs that use mathematics to encode digital information such as e-mail messages, credit card numbers or computer files. ”Most engineers are used to making things work,” he says. […]

A review of South Africa’s health system shows the patient is improving, but warns of possible relapse, writes Ferial Haffajee The policies of Minister of Health Dr Nkosazana Zuma are more readily associated with the screaming headline than the sober assessment. >From the importation of Cuban doctors to the radical changes she is planning to […]

The European Union insists the free trade agreement with South Africa will be good for development. But it’s missing the mark, argues Dot Keet The European Union has pressed reciprocal free trade upon South Africa as a condition for South Africa to get better access to the European market. The EU emphasises its benevolent intentions […]

Lyn Gardner:BODY LANGUAGE If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear? A beret? A pink boa? Emeralds and sequins? Perhaps Giorgio Armani only? Or something machine washable? American playwright Eve Ensler asked more than 200 women this question and many more about how they felt about their vaginas. The result is The Vagina Monologues, […]

ZAMBIAN legislators have called for a serious government probe into reports alleging top state officials are supplying arms to Unita rebels in Angola. Two members of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy have asked President Frederick Chiluba to tell the truth about these allegations. One of the lawmakers, Jerry Muloji, said any delay in carrying […]

THE ARBITRATION ruling in the dispute between Govin Reddy and the SABC has been delayed for over one month, The Star reports on Thursday. Closing arguments from both parties are due on March 5. Paul Pretorius, the arbitrator in the case was expected to rule February 1, but will now only do so on March […]

MALAWIAN women have been urged to take part in parliamentary politics by the first deputy speaker of the national assembly. Lilian Kapanda called for more female representation in the legislature in order to have a strong say on national issues. Kapanda says only nine women are members of parliament, while women make up 52% of […]

A FORMER East Londoner, Rhodes scholar and teacher, Gill Taylor has been elected to the executive of the National Sports Council in Cape Town with a portfolio giving special attention to the development of hockey in underprivileged areas. As Gill Sperinck, Taylor gained colours for Border, Rhodes University, and Western Province. In Cape Town Taylor […]

AT least 10 new recruits in the Mozambican customs service have been fired for alleged corruption. The move follows the discovery of malpractice at Namaacha border post on the Mozambique-Swaziland frontier. The Mozambican government has employed Brisitsh customs officials to recruit and train personnel in an effort to improve the customs service. The customs department […]