Just a week ago economists were hailing the rand’s recovery. Brazil this week dashed their hopes, writes Donna Block The nightmare scenario world economic leaders have struggled to avoid has begun. Brazil has hit the slippery slopes of destitution. China, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile and South Korea may follow. The world economy looks set to head […]

Marital problems, greedy relatives, difficulties with the law? Wilson Mugwegweni can put an end to your troubles, writes Sam Zulu He is so respected and feared that people in his village pay him protection money, criminals have fled his district and the Zambian national soccer team probably owe their international reputation to his ministrations. Former […]

Andrew Worsdale Movie of the week `God, yet another pooftah movie,” groaned a fellow critic at the preview of Turkish Bath last week. Well, yeah, gay and lesbian cinema is booming – even the studios are making films with homosexual themes. Universal Pictures made To Wong Foo, an inferior drag queen movie with Wesley Snipes […]

Marianne Merten Non-governmental agencies in Cape Town are growing increasingly sceptical of the police’s ability to end the violence in the Cape and many are formulating new plans to stop the conflict. Several observers said that at the heart of the problem was the increasing politicisation of policing in the Western Cape. In the run-up […]

ABOUT 415 people killed in fighting last month between government forces and militiamen were buried in southern districts of Congo capital, Brazzaville, city hall said on Thursday. “The operation of collecting bodies is almost finished, although there are probably a few left inside homes,” city hall official Senga Petie said. Residents of the Bacongo and […]

Edward Helmore Dreams of riches from entertainment bonds, to be secured against future royalty earnings, seem to be turning to dust. Japanese investment house Nomura Securities has closed the entertainment securities division in which it put so much hope. Its flamboyant head, Ethan Penner, has been fired. His partner in the scheme, former Eagles manager […]

Mark Milner Soccer Ajax, the Dutch football club, this week claimed a world first with the purchase of a South African soccer club with the aim of nurturing young talent. Under the terms of a franchising agreement, Ajax, which is quoted on the Amsterdam stock exchange, is taking a 51% stake in Ajax Cape Town, […]

places Andy Capostagno Golf The Alfred Dunhill PGA Championship returns to Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg this week and, festive season ennui and geographical impossibilities notwithstanding, it marks the beginning of both the Vodacom Southern African and the Volvo European PGA Tours for 1999. This is the fourth year that the event has been co-sanctioned […]