Staff Reporter
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/ 19 June 1998

Lappies linked to death plots

The truth commission has subpoenaed policeman `Lappies’ Labuschagne about his alleged involvement in the killing of ANC leaders, write Wally Mbhele and Stuart Hess The police detective connected to the arrest of foreign affairs official Robert McBride is allegedly implicated in an attempted assassination in exile of top African National Congress leaders, including Joe Slovo, […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Satellite telecommunications boost for

Africa David Shapshak A new generation of low-orbit communications satellites could be the boost African telecommunications is looking for. While South Africa’s fledgling techno- enthusiastic population has embraced cellular telephony, it has not established much else on the continent. However, satellite companies are expecting Africa to hop directly to satellite use. Communication by satellite has […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Playing to the people

Community theatre is alive and well, and generating debate. Phillip Kakaza looks at two recent examples `South African theatre is floating on the waves of political change,” observes Johnny Loate, whose play, Cabbages and Bullets, 1998 winner of the Windybrow Arts Festival FNB Vita Award, is now at the Windybrow. “Protest theatre was based on […]

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/ 19 June 1998

South Africa arrive at the place called

Lords Neil Manthorp Cricket Lords is a funny place. The funniest moment of South Africa’s last visit in 1994 involved, almost inevitably, Fanie de Villiers. The Afrikaans school teacher cum part-time amateur car mechanic had reached the pinnacle of the game when he arrived in England and began preparations to represent his country, in a […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Blunted!

Adam Haupt Live in Cape Town FUCT is one of those grotte which conservatives might avoid and which diligent cops give a good run through on a night out on the town. Watching our men in blue on the go to the sounds of really great drum ‘n’ bass and mostly commercial hip hop is […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Record groups in kwaito war

Charl Blignaut The simmering feud between top South African d’gong band Skeem and the local division of record company Sony Music Entertainment this week threatened to ignite and in so doing spark an all-out war between Sony and PolyGram South Africa, with whom Skeem’s label Ghetto Ruff has a distribution deal. The battle takes place […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Return of the Big Voice

Pennywhistle master Big Voice Jack Lerole played on the streets of Alexandra township in the Fifties. Today he’s a star in New York. Peter Makurube takes a cruise down memory lane `Midway through the Dave Matthews Band’s sellout show at Giants Stadium [New Jersey],” writes Leita Tayler of Newsday, “the group brought a South African […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Witch doctors’ muti by mail order

Sydney Mathibe South Africa’s witch doctors have learned the power of advertising. A cursory look at the classified sections of newspapers reveals a kaleidoscope of attention- grabbing advertisements aimed at the superstitious and the millions of dedicated muti-users. The ads urge readers to send money, and promote dubious potions, herbal and chemical mixtures and powders […]

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/ 19 June 1998

`Internet in the sky’ blasts off

Ground control of computers is child’s play when it comes to the capabilities of satellite constellations, reports Bill O’Neill Microsoft dominates the world of personal computers and, whatever the result of current action by the United States Justice Department, looks set to determine the future of the Internet, too. For Bill Gates, the company’s boss, […]

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/ 19 June 1998

Snuki makes waves at radio

Sechaba ka’Nkosi A new row among senior managers has hit the SABC following recent appointments and new vacancies created in the corporation’s radio news section. The radio battle comes after the former head of the division and now deputy chief executive Govin Reddy launched a public challenge against the appointment of the Reverend Hawu Mbatha […]