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/ 19 November 2007
The Mail & Guardian’s recent directors general scorecard was interesting, but my experience suggests that the optimism of the accompanying editorial might be misplaced. Certainly, the evaluation of my successor, Jabu Sindane, was somewhat unfair because a flawed process handed him a poisoned chalice, writes Mike Muller.
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/ 18 November 2007
The Polokwane conference takes place amid a vexing national debate, underlined by protests at Wits and the University of Johannesburg, on whether post-apartheid education policy is effectively expanding the right of access to higher education to black students. At the core of South Africa’s post-1994 education policy is the notion that black students from disadvantaged backgrounds are treated fairly when they are bused to white schools and universities.
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/ 18 November 2007
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What does it mean to govern effectively in a highly unequal society? For the ANC, governing is about changing the social and economic conditions created under apartheid, by tackling the structural nature of poverty, in-equality and unemployment. There has been real progress in these areas, evidenced in significant improvements in access to services and a substantial increase in social grants.
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/ 18 November 2007
An Eastern Cape Parks Board dictum reads: ”We promise the Earth.” As the ruling party’s delegates pack their bags for Polokwane, the daunting question stares us in the face: what promise, if any, does the ANC hold for the Earth? Writing for Mayibuye almost 10 years ago, Pallo Jordan observed that ”while the market can very easily assess and weight the value of a host of other commodities, it finds it difficult or underestimates the value of things we cannot buy and sell.”
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/ 18 November 2007
Zimbabwe’s government on Sunday accused Britain of plotting to invade the Southern African state and to kill President Robert Mugabe. Mugabe’s spokesperson, George Charamba, said Harare was ”well aware” that former British prime minister Tony Blair had considered plans for an invasion of Zimbabwe.
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/ 18 November 2007
At least 17 people were killed by explosions in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities on Sunday, Iraqi police and officials said. Nine people were killed and at least 20 others were also wounded in one of the worst attacks in the Iraqi capital in several weeks, which police said targeted Iraqi Finance Ministry adviser Salman al-Mugotar.
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/ 18 November 2007
Former southern rebels on Sunday accused Sudan’s president of ”threatening and calling for war” in speech he gave in honour of a government-allied militia charged with a string of atrocities. Pagan Amum, Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, said he deplored the comments by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
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/ 18 November 2007
Comair will not be bullied by an inefficient and ineffective government department, the company said on Sunday. It was responding to accusations by the Department of Labour that the company did not hire black people. Comair’s joint CEO Erik Venter said: ”These allegations are not only blatantly false but also defamatory.”
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/ 18 November 2007
Criminals have infiltrated sensitive state structures, including security agencies, and ex-agents and ”comrades” were playing the system, a media quoted Reverend Frank Chikane as saying on Sunday. He also said that no ”political faction of any nature” could be allowed to use the levers of state to achieve its own narrow interests.
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/ 18 November 2007
Dale Steyn bowled South Africa to a resounding series win over New Zealand in the second Test on Sunday. SA won by an innings and 59 runs in the seventh over after tea on the third day. The hosts won the first Test in Johannesburg by 358 runs, SA’s biggest win and New Zealand’s heaviest defeat in terms of runs.