Is marriage a union for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, ’till death the wedded part? Evidently not, especially when it comes to parting and riches. Rare is the divorcee willing to come out of a relationship poorer than a good lawyer believes is necessary. Consider Karen Parlour, who is seeking a substantial increase in the maintenance paid by her former husband Ray, the Arsenal footballer.
No job in journalism is more difficult or more satisfying than war reporting. In a war zone, reporters have to deal with people who regard killing as just another part of the day, they have to get the story right and then deliver it on deadline in places where just stepping outside can be fatal. But war reporting has a terrible downside. It can kill you.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry seeks to ensure that all South Africans have equitable access to a safe and reliable water supply. As we eradicate the water supply backlog, we will focus not only on the quality of water from the tap, but also on whether the services are reliable. A recent HSRC survey shows that water supply is cut for many reasons and most often not for non-payment.
"A few months ago I moved house — that was the easy part. I wanted to transfer my landline, but according to Telkom this was not possible as I was moving from one suburb to another and so would have to apply for a new line and number. I realise how naive I was to assume I would have a phone in the week or two promised," writes Tendayi Gwata.
"I know I’m starting off yet another column by referring to Zimbabwe, but watching the meltdown occurring there is a bit like watching an armless, legless mutant woman giving birth to a flipper child on a rubbish heap — yes, it’s disgusting, but damn, you gotta look. You just can’t resist looking." Besides taking a look at Zimbabwe’s current political situation, Ian Fraser turns his eye to other interesting things online.
Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter on Tuesday axed Mbulelo Mabizela as captain of the national team for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso at the FNB stadium. At a media briefing on Tuesday, Baxter said that Aaron Mokoena has been named captain for Saturday’s match.
French fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo blew hot and cold as she disposed of Argentina’s Paolo Suarez 6-0, 5-7, 6-1 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday. Mauresmo will play top seed and defending champion Serena Williams for a place in the final.
In a match that never lived up to expectations, two-time defending champion Serena Williams crushed a listless Jennifer Capriati 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday to advance to the Wimbledon semifinals. Williams and Capriati have built up one of the best rivalries in women’s tennis, but this centre-court match was completely one-sided.
Western Province coach Carel du Plessis on Wednesday announced that scrumhalf Neil de Kock will succeed Corne Krige as captain. However, the captaincy will revert back to Krige until De Kock has completed his international commitments, which could extend until after the Tri-Nations.
At least one of the semifinals of Euro 2004 is likely to come down to a gut-wrenching penalty shootout. Two of this year’s quarterfinals have already gone to penalties when 120 minutes of play proved insufficient to separate England and Portugal and The Netherlands and Sweden.