Reg Rumney The investment of around 3 000 debenture holders in the troubled Owen Wiggins Trust group is still at risk. For the first time since March 9 the curators of Owen Wiggins, whose troubles bear similarities to the Masterbond saga, have formally contacted investors. The curators, in a circular dated September 29, have poured […]

Major-General Karel “Suiker” Britz is under investigation for his alleged poor track record in bringing to book SAPS members tied to political crimes. Philippa Garson reports THE Ministry of Safety and Security this week ordered an investigation into the country’s top crime buster, Major-General Karel “Suiker” Britz, after the Mail & Guardian raised questions about […]

Sam Sklair DAVID SANBORN: Pearls (Electra) PEARLS is not the usual David Sanborn fare. Sanborn virtually started the funk-fortified pop-jazz style of alto playing in the late Seventies, and became easily recognisable for his soulful, wailing sound. Most of the young, aspirant alto players go for Sanborn’s style and sound, as opposed to that of […]

Cinema: Justin Pearce MOST gangster movies these days have a rap soundtrack. Little Odessa has Russian chorales. And it’s these ponderous, bass-heavy anthems which set the tone for the film: it’s turgid. Locating itself in the Russian Jewish neighbourhood of Brighton Beach in New York, Little Odessa suffers from a malaise not uncommon in films […]

A marketing study determines that the quickest way to access South African black youth is through subcultures. Justin Pearce reports Ultraviolet light glows on the fluourescent grafitti-style murals. Ambient techno throbs in the background as the guests, their rave tickets hanging round their necks, down smart drinks before entering the venue. Can this really be […]

The Cabinet and Mangosuthu Buthelezi are at loggerheads again over the controversial Ingonyama Trust Act, writes Gaye Davis LEAKED documents from a Cabinet committee meeting show that government moves to spike a KwaZulu-Natal legislature bid to re-enact the controversial Ingonyama Trust Act have sparked a major showdown. In a strongly worded statement tabled at this […]

John Seiler Former Bophuthatswana strongman Lucas Mangope must be charged for a series of frauds — including the theft of mining royalties and homeland security funds — that total R22-million, according to the report of the Skweyiya Commission. The report will have massive political repurcussions, as it will be released today by North West Premier […]

Karen Harverson reports on the court verdict against McDonald’s and the burger giant’s preparation for appeal The first round of the David and Goliath trademark battle fought by local businessman George Sombonos against United States hamburger giant McDonald’s is over — with Sombonos emerging the victor. Despite the cries of outrage from the United States […]

Janet Wilhelm Appearance: Historically disadvantaged patriarch with a penchant for dark designer suits and flash cars. Must be difficult to belong to a disadvantaged group? Not if you had the job of bantustan (sorry, homeland, sorry, independent state) leader. As Bophuthatswana president he consoled himself with lavish government spending — and evidence to the Skweyiya […]

The goings-on at the University of Durban-Westville have all the ingredients of a spy novel, reports Philippa Garson The plot twists and turns in a most confusing way, the players are not what they appear to be, and power struggles and mysterious attacks and subterfuge are the order of the day at the University of […]