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 […]

Guy Willoughby When is a foul-mouthed bore with a taste for urinals more than a foul-mouthed bore with a taste for urinals? When s/he’s a fully paid-up comedian in the Danger Zone at the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival, that’s when. Now in its fifth year, this hugely successful funny-folk festival has made marvellous strides. Time […]

The average councillor’s wage has risen 130% from R36769 to R84573 a year under the new municipal system, the treasury’s intergovernmental fiscal review shows. This is despite a 30% reduction in the number of councillors in terms of the new municipal demarcation, from 11 368 to 8 939. The review says councillors’ pay had risen […]

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 […]

People with disabilities still face enormous barriers to equality in South Africa Frances Kinghorn More than 200 delegates representing about 150 affiliates of the South African Disabled People’s Organisation will converge on Potgietersrus, Northern Province, over the weekend to review policy relating to the needs of people with physical, hearing, sight and other disabilities. The […]

We know that David Macfarlane has been told to stop writing about the South African National NGO coalition (Sangoco) because they have complained to the editor of the Mail & Guardian, although they have always been given the chance to respond. Things are getting worse. We only have funds for one more month in the […]

Amazulu face the might of the in-form Maulers Ntuthuko Maphumulo The kingdom of the Zulus which is the capital of conferences will not be hosting a conference this weekend but a derby match between Manning Rangers and Amazulu. There will be no debates or talk shows about any issues affecting the country or world but […]

Marianne Merten Cape Town councillor Una Pick, under police investigation for her role in the Cape Town street-renaming fiasco, has been promoted. The Democratic Alliance councillor now heads one of the unicity’s 16 sub-councils at an annual package of R388829, including allowances. This is equivalent to the salary of an executive committee member and almost […]