South African cricket shot itself in the foot once again with the Cullinan debacle Peter Robinson For the Newlands Test the South African team have been put up in Cape Town’s Cullinan hotel. After the obligatory pause for a hollow laugh, it hardly needs pointing out that Daryll didn’t make it into the foyer. Cullinan’s […]
Sheree Russouw Dozing during science class was always a good way to catch up on lost sleep. Each week my science teacher would demonstrate a new method of blowing up his jersey, using a range of obscure chemicals I had forgotten the names of by the next lecture. Science seemed reserved for bespectacled Einsteins reading […]
Pierre du Bois You’re shooting down the ski slope, comfortably perched on the seat of your bright yellow “fun” snowboard. One eye is watching where you’re going while the other is following your progress on an electronic map in your metallic grey personal digital assistant headset. Despite the rough course, you will not lose your […]
Frank Keating Martin Johnson’s England rugby team were “champions of the world” for a fortnight. The view was heady while it lasted. For sure, it added to the dramatic weight of the fall. As well as bruising the lilywhites’ body, spirit and preening pretensions for next year’s World Cup the heart-of-oak French gallants in Paris […]
Marianne Merten African National Congress MPs on the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) have cited a ”political process” as the reason for appointing the ANC’s Vincent Smith as ”temporary” committee chairman. The implication is that there are difficulties over appointing an Inkatha Freedom Party successor to IFP MP Gavin Woods, who resigned as […]
Mail & Guardian reporter The portfolio committee on communications conducted public hearings on the Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA) Bill earlier this week to factor final submissions from a variety of stakeholders, including media companies, advertisers and NGOs. The Bill is the product of three years of consultation, research and comparative study to establish […]
Thebe Mabanga Protests from journalists are beginning to surface over accreditation for President Thabo Mbeki’s press corps. Applicants are asked questions such as whether they have been treated by a psychologist or psychiatrist, have suffered from alcoholism or drug abuse or have been through a divorce. The security questionnaire required for accreditation, issued only to […]
crossfire Anna Weekes The Mail & Guardian published an article last week by the Director General of Water Affairs, Mike Muller, which hid several pertinent facts about what can only be described as a water crisis in South Africa (”We can work together”). Muller’s article gave the impression that privatisation is not on the government’s […]
analysis James Michael In his private moments Robert Mugabe probably wonders (as has been reported) what will happen to him if he does not stay in power and where he could go safely to avoid legal action for his alleged crimes against humanity. Having two law degrees, he may be paying particular attention to decisions […]
STUART GRAHAM, Johannesburg | Friday RESERVE Bank governor Tito Mboweni’s frequent statements that the bank would not intervene in foreign exchange markets to support the rand helped the currency’s fall, the commission into the decline of the rand heard on Friday. Econometrix chief economist Dr Azar Jammine said under Mboweni’s leadership, the SARB was obliged […]