FRIDAY, 5.30PM: SOUTH Africa opened its campaign in the Hong Kong Sevens Championships with a 52-7 victory over Thailand on Friday. The Boks struggled at first with the pace and intensity of the Sevens festival, then pulled themselves together to score eight tries to one and set themselves on course for the play-off rounds on […]

Andy Capostagno: Rugby I am reminded of the story of the man who made his own wine. When the vintage had been trampled and bottled he threw a dinner party for the chosen few to sample his pride and joy. After a few sips his oldest and dearest friend said, “So you grew the elderberries […]

Chris Roper: CD of the week From the first smoky bars of the opening track, On Green Dolphin Street by the Dave Lithins Trio, you’re transported back to the freezing cold alleys, muggy venues and inexpressible intensity of the Grahamstown Arts Festival. A reminder of that peculiar evocative quality jazz has of perfectly encapsulating moments, […]

Felicity Wood Censorship is alive and well in the Eastern Cape, as Hogsback artist Elaine Matthews recently discovered when she submitted her painting, The Sacred Marriage, to an exhibition in the Cuyler Street Gallery in Port Elizabeth. The painting features an angel and a woman making love in a field of flowers. Matthews states that […]

Government has moved to clip the Independent Broadcasting Authority’s (IBA) wings. Its views are contained in a discussion paper released last week, which many believe is a sneak preview of a White Paper for the sector. The document, written by a task team appointed by Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Jay Naidoo, also recommends […]

FRIDAY, 1.15PM: THE Central Energy Fund is considering streamlining its operation by ridding itself of non-core interests and establishing itself as an integrated energy company, to be listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. According to proposals made at a CEF bosberaad, the state will retain a 50% to 60% controlling interest in the listed company, […]

Robert Kirby: LOOSE CANNON Nigeria gets Pope John Paul II, we get Bill Clinton. From such respite we may hang conjecture. I believe the pope’s visit to Nigeria was so he could administer last rites. When an entire country is shuffling off its mortal coil, the Vatican likes to send the foreman along to murmur […]

For decades, ‘Miss Katia’ was the first port-of-call for war reporters in Angola. John Grobler met her in Cape Town, where she is retired Sometime in 1977, the government in Luanda had “a little coup trouble” and imposed a midnight-to-6am curfew – which remained in place for the next 15 years or so. “I think […]

Gavin Evans Boxing The idea of girding his ancient loins to beat up over-hyped young Englishmen is one that has long given pleasure to Benoni’s toughest, wiliest and prettiest granddad. The 42-year-old Thulane “Sugarboy” Malinga (he finds no offence in the boy bit) is seen as a bit of a fluke on this island, despite […]

Babak Dehghanpisheh An Egyptianwriter who converted from Islam to Christianity and is resident in South Africa has come under fire from Muslims and is now under police protection. Known only as Mustafa, the name under which he writes, he is a scholar who fled persecution in Egypt -where conversion is illegal – making an incredible […]