Andrew Worsdale Movie of the week The concept of characters moving in and out of film and television screens seems to have become a distinctive new genre. Woody Allen’s fabulous 1985 comedy- fantasy, The Purple Rose of Cairo, had Jeff Daniels climbing down from the big screen, driven by his passion for a member of […]

the ball game The US media is obsessed with impeachment. But the people believe life has rarely been so sweet, says Ed Vulliamy During the week that the first impeachment trial of a United States president this century began in earnest, another record bit the dust. This one concerned the proverbial diamond-in-the-dust, as it happens: […]

Mark James DOG HEART by Breyten Breytenbach (Human & Rousseau) If there is one point where politics, art and religion intersect in the current cultural life of this country, it is in the rage for confession. With differing degrees of enthusiasm, the whole country is at it, mesmerised by it, implicated in it. After the […]

Chiara Carter Northern Cape Premier Manne Dipico is convinced the African National Congress is positioned to wrest coloured votes from the New National Party and win the province outright in the coming elections. The province’s election race is likely to be closely watched because it is one of few where the government could change hands […]

The police version of the Boipatong massacre is beginning to unravel, write Mail & Guardian reporters Former Vaal policeman Sergeant Gerhardus “Pedro” Peens has admitted that he was in the Vaal Triangle township of Boipatong on the fateful night of June 17 1992 when 46 people – including women, children and a four- month-old baby […]

backside Howard Barrell: OVER A BARREL An assumption commonly made in our politics is that good intentions must have good results. Another is that if you or I question the way someone goes about trying to achieve a result, this means we believe he or she has lousy intentions. Neither follows. The road to hell […]

ceasefire bid Howard Barrell South African diplomacy lay behind the potential breakthrough achieved this week in attempts to end the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo when five neighbouring countries involved in the fighting committed themselves to signing a ceasefire agreement. Ironically, however, South Africa was sidelined from the summit in the Namibian capital, […]

Irene Krechoweicka Taking a break gives you renewed energy and motivation, enabling you to gain the most from your working life. Breaks made with an employer’s support are by far the easiest to mend. Here’s how to persuade your boss to give you some time off: l Prepare a strong case. Enlightened employers can be […]

Johnny Masilela A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE by ES Madima (ESST) Tenda Madima, a journalist and the author of an as-yet- unpublished novel in English as well as a screenplay, has taken it upon himself to translate his father’s celebrated TshiVenda novel into English. Academic MC Neluvhalani writes in the preface that he is convinced this […]

SARAH BULLEN, Johannesburg | Friday 7.30pm. ANGLO American Corporation subsidiary, Zambia Copper Investments, on Friday afternoon formally announced it is to acquire the assets of state-owned Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines for a beefed up $90-million. This brings to an end speculation over the price AAC would finally acquire ZCCM’s lucrative copper mines following reports that […]