As mutinous Lesotho troops take to the hills in preparation for a drawn-out struggle, we re-examine the report that caused all the trouble William Boot The Southern African Development Community’s mishandling of the Langa commission of inquiry and its inability to publicly admit that the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD)had fraudulently stolen the May 23 […]

Maureen Barnes Down the tube The Emmy Awards – the Hollywood TV industry’s mutual back-scratching night out – took three-and- a-half hours to screen, and this was the edited version. In that amount of time, I imagine, the Almighty created a sizeable chunk of the earth and the creatures thereon. Having been caught before, I […]

KHAREEN PECH, Johannesburg | Friday 1.00pm. A WEALTHY rightwinger linked to arms cartels and several rebel groups in Africa plans to destabilise South Africa in the run-up to the country’s second democratic elections in 1999. Former Civilian Co-operation Bureau operative Johan Niemller is directing preparations by the “Boerevolk” for a “Fourth Boere Revolution” by galvanising […]

Raymond Joseph Police say Mark Thatcher will be subpoenaed as a state witness in the fraud and theft trial of officers who acted as “bookrunners” for his failed money-lending business. Police say 11 of Thatcher’s runners have been identified. At least three runners will appear in court by the middle of next month, and others […]

Ferial Haffajee Brussels and Paarl are worlds apart. One is cold and rich. The other poor and hot. Brussels is also the site of trade negotiations between South Africa and the European Union which has 400-million consumers in 15 countries. An agreement could have a huge impact, bringing Paarl and South African industry more firmly […]

Barbara Ludman POINT OF ORIGIN by Patricia Cornwell (Little, Brown) Patricia Cornwell’s life generally spills over into her books. In this one, it threatens to take the book over. She’s made a background theme of the FBI’s prurient interest in its agents’ affairs ever since she was named as co-respondent in a divorce suit lodged […]

Swapna Prabhakaran The managing director of Crawford Preparatory School in Benmore, Graham Crawford, has apologised for offending parents when he called the multiracial institution “the last bastion of European culture”. The remark was made at a parent/ teacher meeting at the elite private school, which caters specifically to “academically advanced” children. Crawford said this week […]

Robert Potts SIMPLICITY by Edward de Bono (Viking) Edward de Bono’s many, many books include Conflicts: A Better Way to Solve Them; Handbook for the Positive Revolution; How To Be More Interesting; and Teach Yourself to Think. These seem to have sold extremely well, both to human beings and also to (the apparent target audience) […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Dakar | Friday 7.00pm. THE United States has airlifted former warlord and now fugitive Roosevelt Johnson out of Liberia on Friday to end a week-long standoff that began when he sought refuge inside the American Embassy in Monrovia. One helicopter swooped down on a small landing pad at the back of the sprawling […]

Sechaba ka’Nkosi Mutinous Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) soldiers sympathetic to opposition parties are removing arms from military bases in preparation for a prolonged war against the allied forces of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The soldiers have retreated strategically to the mountains where they have been able to delay the fall of their Makonyane […]