David Macfarlane and Glenda Daniels This week South Africa celebrated the 46th anniversary of the Freedom Charter a nostalgic reflection on a utopian moment in our history. Considering the numerous ways in which we now fall short of this ideal, it is timely to ask what possibilities utopian thinking still holds for achieving social equality. […]

Mamohloga Ramohlale Cape Town commuters are increasingly becoming victims of gang activity on trains with three people murdered in train violence in the past fortnight. Yet, the Department of Transport says it does not believe this is a trend and has therefore not prepared special measures to combat the crime. The latest incident occurred last […]

Ntuthuko Maphumulo rugby More than a third of the South African under-21 players competing in the Southern Hemisphere Champion-ships in Australia this week are black showing the South African Rugby Football Union’s (Sarfu) development programme is beginning to bear fruit. Sarfu is dedicated to the development of new players, who will be representative of the […]

Joseph Harker Who first decided that a tick is “good” and a cross “bad”? n I work in a junior high school in Japan, where both ticks and crosses are “bad” and a circle is “good”. Elizabeth Marks, Yamagata, Japan n As far as I know the tick is derived not from the word veritas […]

According to a survey released last week, Wild Coast residents still don’t have the means to make a living Marietjie Myburgh ‘I don’t have work and I don’t have money.” In 1997 this was the most common response to a survey that asked Wild Coast residents what their problems were. The survey was conducted to […]

Robert Kirby CHANNELVISION What adds to the horror of the violence that frequently occurs is that it no longer surprises. Our daily news is stitched through with the often vicious reactions of a society as it reveals the ferocity of its embedded prejudices. This is the new and even more terrible “struggle” and, as if […]

Count Riccardo Agusta the Italian helicopter company heir and a top investor in South Africa sees no wrong in his relationship with mafia man Vito Palazzolo Stefaans Brmmer Count Riccardo “Rocky” Agusta has had a hectic decade. As a racing driver he endured Le Mans and Daytona. As an entrepreneur he invested around the globe. […]

The women’s African Cup of Nations was held in South Africa late last year but the national team has not been in action since and the momentum created by the tournament is ebbing away Marianne Merten Could you imagine Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy working as a gaardjie, or guard, on a taxi route through […]

Thebe Mabanga music Bongo Maffin remains one of kwaito’s most eclectic and captivating phenomenons. A recent example of this was provided when the group undertook a promotional tour for their latest album, Bongolution, last Friday. Their guests of honour were about 20 children from Cotlands and Nkosi’s Haven two sanctuaries for HIV-positive kids whom they […]

friday Athletics: IAAF Golden League, from Rome, at 8.25pm on SuperSport International (SSInt) Golf: Irish Open, from Cork, at 4pm on SuperSport2 (SS2); Greater Hartford Open, from Cromwell, Connecticut, at 8pm on SS2 Tennis: Wimbledon at 1pm on SSInt/CSN saturday Cricket: One-day international (ODI) triangular series, fourth match, Zimbabwe vs West Indies from Queens Sports […]