Luis Bernardo Honwana, a founder of modern Mozambican literature, now works in South Africa, representing Unesco. He spoke to Stephen Gray Mr Honwana, please describe your job. I was despatched to this country by Unesco [the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation]after the 1994 elections, as their director here, to negotiate the re-entry of […]

Suzy Bell Durban is hosting the first South African festival, The Time of the Writer, at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, University of Natal from March 2 to 7, to honour local and international writers. The six-day conference, organised by The Centre for Creative Arts in conjunction with the French Institute and with assistance from the […]

Alan Gignoux Incredible journeys Vintage railroads left over from colonial times are becoming an increasingly scarce sight in Africa. There is, however, one railroad that continuously beats all the odds: the Xai Xai railroad. This remarkable line has survived civil wars, lack of spare parts and present-day free market changes taking place in now peaceful […]

FRIDAY 12:30PM BAFANA Bafana skipper Lucas Radebe will captain the natiopanl soccer squad in the final of the African Cup of Nations final against Egypt in Burkina Faso on Saturday. This will come as good news to South African supporters, as well as Radebe’s Bafana teammates and coach, as Radebe was reported not to be […]

Steve Busfield Games Consider the great board games. Think of Monopoly and you are a capitalist. Risk and you are a general. Cluedo and you play a detective. Now imagine a Monopoly board, where those fashionable London streets have been replaced by the illegal substances of the world. Instead of Old Kent Road you have […]

FRIDAY, 6.00PM: AFTER performing comparatively dismally for some weeks, for once gold shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange outpaced the ever record-setting financials. The market was pushed by renewed confidence in Asia and a record-setting day on Wall Street, as well as confidence in an imminent local interest rate cut. The all gold index hurtled […]

Benni McCarthy has scored seven goals in the Nations Cup so far, but so has Hossam Hassan of Egypt, whom Bafana Bafana meet in the final. Andrew Muchineripi reports The African Nations Cup final in Ouagadougou on Saturday will pit the flair and pace of defending champions South Africa against the cool, cunning assassins from […]

Coenraad Visser Classical music In its first season without SABC funding, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) shows that the energy and sense of purpose which marked its last season were not the last desperate gasps of an orchestra on its death bed. The last three concerts of the newly independent orchestra confirm one’s impression of […]

Steve Morris Rugby In many ways, this Super 12 season marks the start of the examination of the relative strengths of New Zealand and South African rugby, a test that it has taken this country two full seasons in which we have not fully understood the questions being put to our players in the toughest […]