Sudanese government and rebel leaders on Wednesday signed a deal to share the oil-exporting country’s growing wealth, marking signs of an end to one of Africa’s longest civil wars of modern times. With only two issues remaining after months of talks under Kenyan mediation, diplomats believe a complete peace package will be agreed in the next two weeks.
The new year has begun with a small but significant contribution to the fight against Aids, which is devastating Sub-Saharan Africa. A $2,15-million grant has been made by Japan to help Zimbabwe and Swaziland prevent the disease from spreading amongst their youth.
Fifteen years after the tragedy, new light has fallen on the real reasons behind the mid-air explosion that downed Pan-Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland. Two hundred and seventy people lost their lives: 259 on board the Boeing 747 and 11 on the ground.
Juventus Daniel Jouberts, an unemployed daily astrologer living under cardboard shelters in central Cape Town, is applying to have himself reclassified as a black man. Jouberts says that this is the only way in which he will stand a chance of finding useful employment that will take him off the streets as a beggar.
With the latest three Spoornet railway accidents, South Africa has proudly claimed world leadership in southern hemisphere train crash casualties. During the rail accident year 2002/03, a total of 123 South African passengers lost their lives in railway accidents.
A woman living in the Western Cape town of Bellville East believes she has been receiving what she describes as "visions of the Saviour". Betty Deventer, an Absa bank accountant’s widow, has spoken of seeing the face of Jesus in her domestic endeavours, including in the arrangement of her dogs’ blankets and a plate of vegetable curry.
Minister of Education Kadar Asmal this week announced a new and controversial decision that will make the teaching and use of so-called “politically correct” language compulsory in all schools.
Interesting new evidence has appeared that seems to confirm rumours that secret plans are underway to re-establish a political party that has long since been declared dead and buried. <i>Not the Mail & Guardian</i> has come into possession of documents that reveal detailed strategies, internal correspondence and part of a “mission statement” behind the re-emergence of what is to be called the Old National Party (ONP).
A new Afrikaner resistance group has been founded and is gathering members at a rate described as "frantic". Calling itself the Afrikaner Young Women’s Union (AYWU), the group has its base in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, an area known as home to the more progressive of Afrikaans political thinking. As its name suggests, the AYWU is entirely female in origin and style.
Ever wanted to learn how to build your own landmine? Or rate your American intellectual capacity by putting yourself to the test called Not all Americans are stupid? Or for some light reading ,try Noam Chomsky’s views on why the US invaded Iraq. And garden gnome lovers best tread carefully when reading Ian Fraser’s column this week …