Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Herbert Qedusizi Msimang is seen as a leading contender to preside over the corruption trial of African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma. Senior legal figures in KwaZulu-Natal said Judge Msimang, a law graduate from Louisiana’s Tulane University who began practising in Pietermaritzburg in the early 1980s, became the obvious choice for KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Vuka Tshabalala.
The United States this week said it would welcome efforts by former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa to mediate in Zimbabwe’s crisis only if he was able to convince President Robert Mugabe to accept responsibility for his country’s crisis. Mkapa would also have to persuade Mugabe to accept sweeping political and economic reforms.
Thousands of delegates from around the world gather in Toronto, Canada, next month for the Sixteenth International Aids Conference. "We have the knowledge to defeat HIV now, we know what is effective, and that is recognising that the epidemic is caused by human rights abuses, which fuel the epidemic," said Joseph Amon, director of the HIV/Aids programme at Human Rights Watch.
Workers’ growing awareness of massive executive salaries may make future negotiations much more interesting, labour analysts warned after trade union Solidarity released its report on wage discrepancies between bosses and workers recently. The report found the average CEO earned between 35 and 53 times more than the average worker.
Director General of Health Thami Mseleku has instructed the Medicines Control Council (MCC) to take its hands off controversial vitamin salesman Matthias Rath.
MCC chairperson Peter Eagles revealed this week that Mseleku had instructed the MCC to refer all Rath-related issues to his office and not to discuss or investigate them further.
The South African government has condemned Israel’s disproportionate response, but has said it will not suspend diplomatic ties with that country. This week the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> sought perspectives on the Middle East from Iqbal Jassat, chairperson of the Media Review Network, and David Saks, acting national chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
A morbid fascination with the dark potential of human nature is undeniable. The whole horror-movie genre is based on it, writes our resident Couch Potato.
<b>NOT QUITE THE CD OF THE WEEK</b>: Riaan Wolmarans reviews former Verve vocalist, Richard Ashcroft’s latest offering <i>Keys to the World</i>.
Matthew Krouse speaks to architect Imraan Ho-Yee about changing the face of malls in South Africa.
Whether the world is really a worse place than in previous times is open to debate there will always be naysayers and, as many say, history repeats itself, writes the resident Couch Potato.