Lyndon Johnson, when asked why he kept J Edgar Hoover on as head of the FBI, made the famous observation that “I’d much rather have that fellow inside my tent pissing out than outside my tent pissing in”. It is a philosophy which has governed President Nelson Mandela’s attempts to handle Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi for […]
Hazel Friedman and Janet MacPherson Pact unions have produced evidence suggesting that two of their representatives were involved in a sweetheart deal with Pact management to sell their comrades down the river. The Mail & Guardian is in possession of a cheque for R15 000 made out by Pact’s legal advisors to one of two […]
John M. Goshko at the UN A move by the United States to pay some of its back dues will keep the United Nations from plunging into the deep financial abyss that senior UN officials had anticipated during 1996. But the US will remain the UN’s biggest debtor, and the world body still will have […]
Moyiga Nduru A banana war between two of Somalia’s main warlords is under way over the control of the lucrative banana export trade. The forces of General Mohamed Farah Aideed, the self-proclaimed president of Somalia, are pitted against the militiamen of his former financier, Ali Hassan Osman “Atto”. Aideed needs the revenues, estimated at around […]
Rehana Rossouw President Nelson Mandela’s dream of a museum near his birthplace – Qunu in the Eastern Cape – has been given the green light, and should open to the public early next year. The museum is not intended as a shrine or a living monument to the president – its primary purpose will be […]
THANKS to modern technology, we will be privileged to witness on our screens the story of our miraculous transition to democracy. But how sad that the prized roles of President Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk should be played by actors Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine. These roles belong to Tony Award winner John Kani […]
Richard Saunders South Africans played a leading role behind the scenes at last week’s 37th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo – they built it. This year the ZITF contracted SA’s Shocraft to erect, partition and disassemble exhibitors’ stands, to the detriment and vociferous complaint of local joiners who have traditionally built it. But now, […]
A new newspaper aims to fill a gaping hole at the heart of Zimbabwe’s media market, reports Richard Saunders A new independent newspaper will hit Zimbabwe’s streets next week in an effort to keep alive a faltering voice in the national press. The Zimbabwe Independent, a business-oriented weekly, comes in the wake of a crisis […]
To make some of this week’s main news stories come alive, visit the following dedicated sites on the World Wide Web. http://www.uoknor.edu/okdaily/bombing.html is the home of The Oklahoma Daily’s web news service on the April 19 1995 bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. http://www.envirolink.org/earthday/ is the official home page of […]
Consumer confidence may be buoyant, but manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers are concerned that the credit spending spree will be short-lived. Lynda Loxton reports While most economists are still bullish about the economy, the latest round of surveys by the University of Stellenbosch’s Bureau for Economic Research (BER) send out worrying signals about future growth. Consumer […]