Tangeni Amupadhi and Mungo Soggot Highway heists have become one of South Africa’s favourite crimes, with gangs of well-trained operatives pulling off a spate of audacious robberies involving tens of millions of rands. Police say they have arrested about 250 suspects, but a substantial number have escaped – as in the case of former African […]

Andrew Muchineripi World Cup Nothing happened in the first series of group matches to suggest that traditional World Cup giants Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Italy will not be heavily involved come crunch time. Argentina and Germany won without great exertion, Brazil found the going tough because the Scots proved tough, and do not read too […]

The African National Congress will have to do better in the Eastern Cape if it wants to retain the support of one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, writes Lizeka Mda The African National Congress is fortunate the elections are still a year away because were they to be held tomorrow, it seems the United Democratic […]

Ann Eveleth The apartheid-era homeland system and rural “betterment schemes” were the worst causes of land degradation, according to a rapid appraisal of land resources conducted in the run-up to World Desertification Day on Wednesday. The study forms part of South Africa’s National Action Programme to implement the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The […]

Mark Tran in New York Basketball He is sport’s first $10-billion man. Michael Jordan, the basketball player, has not only built a vast personal fortune but has had a dramatic impact on his sport and sponsors. The cumulative economic impact over his 13- year career – on ticket sales in the National Basketball Association (NBA), […]

A special correspondent in Abuja There were few tears and fewer obsequies for General Sani Abacha, the late and brutal president of Nigeria. Wrapped in a sheet and carried to his home town of Kano in the cargo hold of a Nigerian air force jet, he arrived too late even to be buried before evening […]

Andy Capostagno Golf It’s called getting the monkey off your back. Ernie Els had been number one on the Sony World rankings for two months and he was about to defend the US Open title for the second time in four years. In April the gentle giant from Kempton Park handled a satellite link-up to […]

Most people who see Robin Williams loathe him. Sarah Gristwood asks if he’s really that bad The jokes aren’t that funny. On Albert Einstein: “There’s even a theory that his first wife came up with the theory of relativity. Which would make it the theory of relatives.” On film flying: “The harness shorts are like […]

Sydney Mathibe Famous and “strong” witch doctors can prosper. Ngaka Mahlakwane, who practises on the East Rand, charges R5 for bone- throwing, while Dr Zungu, well known in Vosloorus, charges R20 for the same service. These are some of the more common fees: l “Strengthening” a home: R400 to R1 000 a year. l Curing […]

Lords Neil Manthorp Cricket Lords is a funny place. The funniest moment of South Africa’s last visit in 1994 involved, almost inevitably, Fanie de Villiers. The Afrikaans school teacher cum part-time amateur car mechanic had reached the pinnacle of the game when he arrived in England and began preparations to represent his country, in a […]