Claudia Braude Negotiating the Past: The Making of Memory in South Africa edited by Carli Coetzee and Sarah Nuttall (Oxford, R110) South African academics and artists have discovered the memory market, a thriving area in the United States and elsewhere. In Negotiating the Past: The Making of Memory in South Africa, editors Carli Coetzee and […]

In the hotseat at Midi TV Swapna Prabhakaran At first glance, Jonathan Proctor does not look much like the television executive he is. He wears no tie and has an open, immediately likeable face. He looks controlled and calm – he could be an aeroplane pilot or a professional golfer just off the green. Look […]

Suzy Bell Clay – ubumba -has never looked so glamorous. “Ceramics!” sniffs Kobus Moolman, the education officer of the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg, as his hand waves at the magnificent historical and contemporary collection of ceramics now on exhibit. There are delicate animal studies by Hezekile Ntuli from the 1930s, voluptuous beer vessels in […]

A broadcasters’ bid. That’s what Midi believes won it the right to run South Africa’s new private television station. Other bids may have been stronger on business plans (Midi’s plans were criticised for changing after the closing date) and legal agreements (other bidders suggest that they still haven’t yet seen a watertight shareholders agreement from […]

Andy Duffy The government is poised to again delay the introduction of the new school curriculum after its launch earlier this year missed at least 20 000 primary schools, one in five of the schools targeted. Provincial report-backs for the first term of the school year show that up to half of the primary schools […]

Ronald Suresh Roberts : Crossfire In an unprecedented and conspicuously fact-free attack on the personal integrity of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki (“A short leap to dictatorship”, March 27 to April 2), Lizeka Mda explicitly elevates what she herself calls “urban legend”, “rumours” and “perception” to the realm of serious political analysis. To her, Mbeki is […]

Andy Duffy The University of the Transkei (Unitra) is to embark on a massive reshape involving widespread job losses after a drop in its government funding. Management plans include rebuilding and streamlining the university’s academic programme, merging operations, farming out non-core activities and cutting staff perks such as housing allowances. The proposals follow a large […]

Jonathan Proctor is the former head of Bop Broadcasting Corporation. The bte noir of Lucas Mangope, he aired certain programmes well before Aunty-SABC dared. Publicity-shy and independent, this is a broadcaster with a plethora of skills. He will lead e.tv for five years with Richard Magau as his deputy. Magau is an all-rounder from Bop-TV […]

Mish Middelmann ‘To hell with having our cake and eating it,” Microsoft seems to be saying, “we want the whole damn bakery!” Two weeks ago, Reality Bytes said Microsoft products were declining in quality, while the company begins to undermine its own flagship of universal compatibility. But neither Microsoft nor Bill Gates are stupid or […]

Manne Dipico : Right to Reply I categorically deny the allegations made against me by Dean Snyders (“Manne Dipico framed me”, March 13 to 19) and wish to draw your attention to several distortions. The journalist who wrote the report did so without reference to my office. I believe that Sechaba ka’Nkosi, despite being a […]