Faried Esack Shamima Shaikh (37), South Africa’s leading Muslim gender equality activist, passed away in the early hours of January 8 at her home in Mayfair, Johannesburg. She had cancer. Shaikh left behind her husband, Naeem Jeenah, and two sons Minhaj (9) and Shir’ah (7). Shaikh was a member of the national executive committee of […]

Neil Manthorp : Cricket South Africa’s domination of the World Series one-day competition in Australia has been almost embarrassing. Actually, it has been extremely embarrassing to Australia who have changed their squad and tried to adapt to the modern trends of instant cricket after half a decade of laurel- resting; they are still being stuffed. […]

FRIDAY 5.45PM: THE African National Congress in Gauteng has denied covering up evidence of financial impropriety by provincial Premier-elect Mathole Motshekga. In a statement on Friday, the party said: “Last October Comrade Tokyo Sexwale informed Comrade Motshekga in writing about the existence of certain documents alleging impropriety on his [Motshekga’s] part. The documents were made […]

Gwen Ansell At last, an overseas impresario is taking an interest in South African music. Euro Stages Peter Ultee who has also promoted opera, and folkloric shows from West Africa departed on Sunday with the 40-strong Sikulu Theatre Group and their production The Journey for a commercial tour that so far includes theatre bookings in […]

Marion Edmunds Parliament aims to close early this year, on September 23, to free up parliamentarians for constituency work and electioneering, in anticipation of next year’s election which may be held as late as July 1999. This early deadline puts extraordinary pressure on the year’s legislative programme — and exposes South Africans to a lengthy […]

In a post-painting art world, video seems to be the medium du jour, writes Brenda Atkinson If it is possible to distil one widely shared impression from the critical cross- currents of the second Johannesburg Biennale, and in particular of its showcase exhibition, Alternating Currents, it is this: there was a whack of video installation […]

Wonder Hlongwa and Ann Eveleth The role of police in the brutal Shobashobane massacre will come under the microscope for the first time next week amid fears that senior police management will try to shift the blame to a single station commander. Eighteen Inkatha Freedom Party supporters were convicted early last year for shooting and […]

Andy Duffy Colin Stanfield is expected to return to his Cape Flats roots this weekend to meet the mother of a 22-year-old who died on his doorstep. Stanfield has done well from his time leading the powerful gang cartel, The Firm. The alleged drug baron lives in a plush house in Baltinore Road, one of […]

David Beresford : A Second Look Life tends to be made up of a series of images, snapshots from the past. One particularly powerful image from my past is of cricket. It was the early 1970s and I was living in Richmond, near the park. I had shaken the dust of South Africa off my […]

Hard Livings, but the living is easy Alex Duval Smith Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie’s favoured hood-wear of the moment is a bright orange cap that he wears slightly set back on the head to reveal the green- coloured underside of its visor. This, reflected in the gold-rimmed mirror sunglasses which are perpetually perched […]