David Beresford FREDERICK VAN ZYL SLABBERT has been offered the editorship of the Sunday Times as successor to Ken Owen, but has rejected it. The former Progressive Federal Party leader this week confirmed rumours about the proposal. ”Yes, I was offered and I declined after serious consideration,” he said. He declined to comment further. It […]

The tragedy of Susan Sithole, abandoned by love and the system. Rehana Rossouw reports ‘PAIN,” wrote Susan Sithole, “is wearing my husband’s face.” On Saturday — International Day of No Violence Against Women — the pain came to an end. Her husband is in jail on a murder charge. The tragic story of Susan Sithole […]

Adam Sweeting RECORDING a James Bond theme demands more dignified attributes than mere pop stardom, as Duran Duran demonstrated with A View to a Kill — stupid title, pathetic song, crap movie. Even wily pop veteran Paul McCartney found it difficult to shake and stir the perfect Bond cocktail, and his Live and Let Die […]

Controversy is raging over tenders for the South African Airways corporate identity design. Neil Bierbaum reports A CALL for tenders by South African Airways (SAA) for the redesign of its corporate identity has been slammed as a front by applicants who fear that the appointment might have already been made. In the scramble to pitch, […]

Marion Edmunds SOUTH AFRICAN Broadcasting Corporation decision-makers are considering changing the course of SAfm and going for a niche market by targeting the new South African elite. The station has lost 25 percent of its advertising this year and, as reported last week, its audience is a paltry 250 000. A small team — headed […]

CINEMA: Andrew Worsdale YOU can relax. Pierce Brosnan makes a fine James Bond in Martin Campbell’s GoldenEye, an otherwise disappointing foray into moviedom’s most successful franchise — 007. The story revolves around schemers and baddies in the post-Soviet world who are intent on worldwide cataclysm ( as usual ), and that’s the major problem with […]

The final phase towards establishing telecommunications legislation in South Africa is finally underway, reports Leon Perlman THE much touted initiative to provide “Universal”telephony services to South Africa’s un-wired rural millions looks set for a boost following a national colloquium on telecommunications policy. “All Shall Call”is the message emanating from an intensive four day meeting between […]

Lynda Loxton LOCAL government is facing “an affordability crunch”that could have long-term consequences for the delivery of services by newly-elected local governments. Development Bank of Southern Africa policy co- ordination manager Chris Heymans last week told a parliamentry select committee hearing on local government that a great deal of innovative thinking would be needed on […]

THEATRE: David Le Page IN February 1956, in the foothills of the Drakensberg near Bergville, a group of Zulu dagga farmers took severe umbrage when the South African Police attempted a raid on their crop. It was, after all, not only a traditional indulgence, but their livelihood. At first the police retreated, but it was […]

THE day Susan Sithole died, abuse activists, counsellors and government officials met in Cape Town at a national conference organised by the Department of Welfare under the banner “Women in Africa won’t be beaten — unite to end violence”. Catholic Welfare Development counsellor Charles Maisel challenged participants to extend their services to the perpetrators of […]