The issue in Microsoft’s attempt to rule the browser market is a fear of tomorrow’s cheap, simple, ‘networked’ computers, argues Philip Machanick The only puzzling thing about the fact that the United States Department of Justice is pursuing a case against Microsoft is why it took so long to find a reason to tackle it. […]

Andy Duffy Pollsmoor prison in the Western Cape has gone on alert following police reports that gangster Rashied Staggie is planning to get into the jail to confront and possibly kill inmate and rival gang leader Jacky Lonte. It is understood that the prison’s management has drawn up plans with the Department of Correctional Services […]

Charl Blignaut : Cultural sushi Oysters are not likely to be on the menu at Independent Newspapers functions after a typically off-the-cuff (read foot-in-mouth) remark from Gauteng Newspapers MD Deon du Plessis. The Big Boer, as he is affectionately known among staff, apparently suggested at an Independent meeting held to discuss the future of the […]

Andrew Muchineripi: Soccer The national team returns to its African roots on Saturday with a regional championship first-round match against Namibia at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek. Since clinching qualification for the World Cup last August with a tense home victory over Congo, the African Nations Cup holders have met France, Germany, Brazil, Czech Republic, […]

Johnny Masilela In the remote village of Stinkwater, north of Pretoria, last Sunday, North West Education MEC Zacharia Tolo had a happy experience when he accepted an invitation from the community to talk about their schools. Instead of the usual moans and venom targeted at the government, the citizens of Stinkwater wished to convey to […]

Just the suggestion of producing an Afrikaans film with an all-white cast in South Africa in 1998 is enough to make a boardroom of grown businessmen burst into uncontollable laughter. “Nee hartjie,” said the men in suits to film-maker Katinka Heyns when she was doing the circuit to find financial backers for her latest project, […]

Mungo Soggot The Department of Justice is targeting prosecutors and other justice officials who quit for private practice during trials and are then rehired in the same capacity for the same trials at far more expensive private-sector rates. In a nationwide circular, the department has threatened already overstretched attorneys general that they could have to […]

Inga Latham : In your ear What fresh aural hell is this? Subjected on Cape Talk to talk show host Sister and comedian Mark Banks’s infantile derision of callers, I began to question my conversion to talk radio. To the best of my knowledge the imperatives of talk radio are to inform and to discuss, […]

The 100-year-old Pretoria News is still learning new tricks. Janet Smith reports Gauteng Newspapers managing director Deon du Plessis, editor of The Star Peter Sullivan, the late editor of The Sunday Times Tertius Myburgh, Reuters’ Africa desk chief Lesley Wroughton and former press photographer of the year Nicky de Blois all have one thing in […]

THURSDAY, 10.30AM INDEPENDENT Harmony gold mines, formerly in the Randgold stable, posted an R800 000 profit in the final quarter of 1997 from a third-quarter loss of R37,2-million. The company achieved the profit despite large-scale restructuring, retrenchments, strikes and a devastating fire. MD Bernard Swanepoel said the worst is behind the company and that its […]