Sutracide Cameron Duodu : Letter from the North Nigeria’s political lexicography is one of the most colourful in the world. This is because Nigerian politicians delight in showing off during public speeches what they consider to be the English “grammar” they learned at school. But since this grammar was taught to them by people who […]

Andy Capostagno Cricket The South African selectors must be breathing a sigh of relief. First Adam Bacher stuck his hand up and said, “Pick me”, by scoring a century and two 50s in successive SuperSport Series matches, then both Gary Kirsten and Mark Boucher made the three figure mark and finally Shaun Pollock got 30 […]

The year 2000 may bring chaos to nuclear bases, writes John Eason As the fireworks burst in the sky, heralding the year 2000, could we see larger rockets taking to the air, bearing payloads of nuclear death and destruction? It sounds far-fetched. Surely the worst the millennium bug could do is close down cash machines […]

Kelwyn Sole It is unfashionable these days to admit to any intention in one’s poetry. Yet, as a critic and teacher as well as a poet, I find it impossible to imagine my poems without thinking about their generation in the broader context of South African literature and its history. They grow out of this […]

SARAH BULLEN, Johannesburg | Thursday 5.45pm. THURSDAY brought a pleasant change to the directionless few days on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with all indices ending in positive territory. Dealers said the market responded well on news of a 0,1 percentage point drop in the Consumer Price Index to 9%, pleasantly surprising the market which had […]

Belinda Beresford People have been boring themselves silly for decades spotting trains, hunting autographs or lurking in bushes in the pursuit of rare birds. If they’re looking for new excitement they can always join the ranks of the telametrists – phonecard collectors to you and I. These are people who find more than simple utility […]

With a host of new releases, kwaito looks to be the holiday soundtrack this year, writes Phillip Kakaza Jingle Bells might be blaring through the malls, but this season it’s the latest kwaito and d’gong releases that are getting party animals geared for the hot nights ahead. If you ask anyone, from producers to DJs […]

CD of the week : Peter Makurube The great bull of South African jazz, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, has released a new album, Molo Africa (Nkomo). This is Mankunku at his very best, on an album which introduces him as a multi- instrumentalist. But the tenor sax is still there, bellowing fiercely and with conviction. Not […]

Friday night : Jean Barker `Big, bloody indie beats!” the flier promised. “Dress as your favourite victim and get in for R15 …” sounds just right for Friday 13. My imagination is aroused. I picture strange people, weird conversations, tribal dance, excessive make-up. Unfortunately, none of my friends are keen to go. So the evening […]

Stuart Hess and Mukoni Rashitanga Peninsula Technikon (Pentech) has drawn a flurry of criticism following its extraordinary decision on Wednesday to expel student journalist Max Hamata. Hamata’s fallout with the institution comes in the wake of a report which was published in the Mail & Guardian and which this week led to him being booted […]