”’You thought it was about seeking the truth?’ an amused ex-academic asked me recently. Yes, I did think that was what a PhD was about, and I still do firmly believe it. But the university today is the last place a truth-seeker can feel at home.” How, oes a dedicated young student resist the pressures of today’s pseudo-academia?
Coaches Bob Cervanka, Nico van Heerden and Ian Harries, normally responsible for the physical shape and form of their athletes, are carrying heavy emotional loads for athletes Jacques Freitag, Llewellyn Herbert and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, who are among South Africa’s top medal hopes at the Olympic Games in Athens.
South Africa’s top woman cyclist Anriette Schoeman feels like a total loner in the build-up to the women’s 118km road race in the city centre of Athens on Sunday. Don’t get her wrong. Schoeman has made many friends and feels quite at home in the South African Olympic team.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
The recent Council on Higher Education review to re-accredit MBA programmes across the higher education system – public and private – has been welcomed as ensuring the quality of a qualification so critical to high skills development in South Africa. And a large number of private institutions are making a significant contribution to developing skills at the intermediate level.
Ironically, the New National Party may have thrown in the towel too soon. Some officials in the African National Congress argue that the NNP should have waited until after next year’s local government elections before joining the ANC, in the hope that they would be able to bring some supporters with them. Operation Nat Attack, it seems, was a long-running plan to weaken and ultimately kill the NNP.
At the heart of the travel scam lies the average South African politician’s penchant for the high life. Tony Yengeni moonlighted as a model for Fabiani, the upmarket clothing store in Cape Town, in return for free suits. His political career came to a premature end when he took a huge discount on a 4×4. Now Parliament is being further besmirched by expensive tastes that stretch way beyond the whippery.
Manning Rangers collected maximum points in their first game of the Premier Soccer League 2004/05 season when they beat neighbours Lamontville Golden Arrows by 1-0 at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night. The only goal of the entertaining derby match was scored by Linos Chalwe in the 41st minute.
He’s not yet advertising for a speechwriter, but Lemmer respectfully suggests that Oom Thabo seriously considers hiring someone with some talent along those lines. It might avoid the sort of stupendously pointless sound bite offered up to SAfm news as the prez congratulated South African women judges on the launch of the local chapter of the International Judges Association in Benoni on Monday.
The art of lobbying is being perfected this week in the modernist marble interior of the Hilton hotel in Athens. The city’s magnificent Olympic stadium may be the focus of the world’s attention when the games of the 28th Olympiad open on Friday night, but the Hilton will be the real heart of the games.
Touring the endless hallways and sweeping decks of the Queen Mary 2, you’ll find gleaming wood panelling, deep red carpeting and authentic Art Deco details. You’ll also find a hall of fame with larger-than-life, black-and-white photographs of some of the many stars who sailed on the ship’s predecessor, the Queen Mary: Buster Keaton. Bing Crosby. Charlie Chaplin. Elizabeth Taylor.