analysis Richard Tomlinson When it comes to housing, the worst off are the worst served. Housing international best practice is based on delivery to a family, and so too is South Africa’s housing policy. In both, the conception of the family is that of a Western nuclear family. The consequences are to bar access to […]

Mungo Soggot and Stefaans Brmmer Telkom has stepped up its purge of its security network, cancelling its contract with Royal Security, the company at the centre of a long-running investigation, and axing two more managers. The investigation initially targeted the parastatal’s former deputy chief operating officer, Bheki Langa, who resigned in July ahead of a […]

crossfire Evidence wa ka Ngobeni Sipho Seepe’s No Blows Barred column (September 21 to 27) lacked focus and was difficult to follow. Most of the issues raised amounted to his usual tirade against President Thabo Mbeki and the African National Congress. The most interesting point to come out of it was, perhaps, that the Mbeki […]

Jaspreet Kindra Moses Mayekiso is vague when asked whether he has the blessing of many African National Congress leaders for the launch of a civic association in opposition to the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco). Rumour has it that key members of the ANC’s national executive committee, angered by Sanco’s support for the union […]

Barry Streek South African Airways (SAA) has indicated to the government that it will approach it for assistance to cover the increased insurance costs of its aircraft following the terror attacks in the United States. A government spokesperson on Thursday said the plea would be sympathetically considered. Business Day reported this week that SAA stood […]

First it was Virodene, now it’s “oxihumate-K” the University of Pretoria is at the centre of a new saga about another state-backed Aids treatment Nawaal Deane, David Macfarlane and Mungo Soggot The South African government’s oil agency, the Central Energy Fund, has pumped at least R80-million into an unproven, coal-based HIV/Aids treatment that is being […]

An Aids care facility performs “miracles” by keeping patients on a regimen of vitamins and fresh food Niki Moore Lana Oatway is quite smug about the fact that she can work miracles. “People arrive here on the back of a bakkie, showing all the symptoms of full-blown Aids, more than half dead,” says Oatway, manager […]

Barry Streek The heavily indebted Road Accident Fund (RAF) paid more than R68,5-million including nearly R6-million in attorney’s fees to a legal firm in which its deputy chairperson George Maluleke is a partner. In addition, a secret R3,2-million audit report, leaked to the Mail & Guardian, has found “systematic fraud” against the fund. According to […]

Martin Gillingham With United States golfers apparently too scared to step on to a transatlantic jet and the world seemingly on the brink of war, what we’d give for a global superstar who could not only go under par at the Belfry but also, between times, broker peace in the Middle East. Step forward Wilson, […]

Mboniso Sigonyela The rand’s weakness against the United States dollar is well documented, but the South African currency is also failing to hold its ground against other African currencies. The rand has recorded new lows against the pound and the dollar since the terror attacks on the US on September 11. On Thursday the currency […]