The treasury department’s intergovernmental fiscal review was released in Parliament this week. Barry Streek reports Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel was upbeat this week on the government’s effect on development and delivery in South Africa. He said it was “the story of remarkable successes attained in a relatively short period”, but the harsh reality is […]

Marianne Merten Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has warned the Western Cape government that he will use the Constitutional Court to stop it transforming the provincial agriculture department into a semi-autonomous public entity, arguing that the move violates legislative requirements and the constitutional principle of cooperative governance. Another clash between central government and the Western […]

Are some South African medical aids contravening the Constitution? Barbara Erasmus Patients suffering from a psychiatric illness may become so disabled that hospitalisation becomes essential but they won’t be treated in the same way as heart patients. If their condition has led them to attempt suicide, some hospitals won’t treat them as some medical aids […]

The Arts & Culture Trust Awards recognise excellence in those strategic areas without which the arts cannot develop and thrive. All entrants and the finalists for the 2001 awards are therefore commended for their fine work and their participation. The winners, judged by an independent panel to represent the highest levels of professionalism, dedication, leadership […]

Nawaal Deane The Minister of Housing, Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele, launched a R3-million defamation action against the Mail & Guardian in the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday in response to how she fared in the paper’s 1998 Cabinet “report card”. The report card, which gave Mthembi-Mahanyele an F, referred to how the controversial Motheo housing saga and […]

Eddie Koch The World Summit in South Africa to assess what the world’s governments have done since they met in Rio 10 years ago to devise emergency plans to stave off environmental catastrophe will have to contend with a pair of gloomy trends: accelerated environmental decline and loss of political will to reverse this. Global […]

Legal gambling in South Africa has taken a nosedive over the past four financial years, despite the opening of new casinos, and revenues to provincial governments have been hit as a result. The treasury’s intergovernmental fiscal review points out that in the 1997/8 financial year, the provinces received R290-million in gambling taxes, which dropped to […]

Mail & Guardian Reporter The critical shortage of housing, and funding problems experienced by South Africans earning less than R3500 a month, will be high on the agenda at the Institute for Housing of South Africa (IHSA) conference in Pietersburg at the weekend. Themba Mthethwa, president of the IHSA, says banks have been badly burned […]

BOXING John Rawling There are few people who have trust in the life of Mike Tyson. One is “Crocodile”, and he lowered his dark glasses to look his questioner in the eye, facing down the impertinence of a fellow late-night drinker who dared inquire if the former world heavyweight champion was still a genuine fighter, […]

comment Henry Porter in New York The cops have been down here nearly a month and have become used to it, but when people see the ruins of the World Trade Centre for the first time they are shaken. As the van carrying me and six other volunteers approached the ruins, everyone fell silent. You […]