Suzan Chala Lack of managerial expertise is often cited as one reason for government failure to deliver. But the Free State provincial government is targeting this area of vulnerability: it’s sending its most senior officials back to the classroom. The Premier, Winkie Direko, senior politicians and heads of provincial departments in the provincial government have […]

By regulating the plea-bargaining procedure, the government is attempting to make it more efficient Judith February The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is introducing a Bill to fast-track the criminal justice system through a plea-bargaining arrangement. Such an arrangement entails an agreement whereby the accused pleads guilty to a charge before appearing in court, […]

The health department has admitted that it neglected a large number of people with HIV Belinda Beresford The Department of Health has warned that it is “politically dangerous” to fail to provide treatment to millions of people affected by HIV/Aids, and has recommended drug trials that could lead to the supply of anti-retrovirals to all […]

analysis Raymond Suttner By the time this article appears, the United States and Nato might have launched an offensive against targets alleged to bear responsibility for the attacks last week on thousands of US civilians. At any rate, a climate has been created preparing for such attacks, with loose references to “war” and “civilised” and […]

Islamophobia is on the rise since the attack in the United States Marianne Merten Harassment of South African Muslims escalated this week with an arson attack at the offices of the Cape Town-based Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), believed to be linked to rising Islamophobia since last Tuesday’s attacks in the United States. The arson attack […]

Ntuthuko Maphumulo Ajax Cape Town, Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns have one thing in common: they have all failed to stamp their authority on this year’s continental competitions. The three teams began their campaigns dismally and will be hoping to win this weekend to salvage some pride. South Africa’s record in African cup competitions is poor, […]

Jaspreet Kindra South African Communist Party members suspect a political motive in the theft of confidential documents dealing with the tripartite alliance and Inkatha Freedom Party from the party’s Durban offices at the weekend. Cash and computers were also stolen in the break-in, which coincided with an SACP central committee meeting at which the party’s […]

A tense lull settled over the world this week as the United States deliberated its response to the terror attacks on New York and Washington. Military retaliation seemed inevitable the only questions were how, when and where. The US reaction could critically shape the lives of everyone on the planet. As influential voices have warned, […]

Colloquium Wella Msimanga More than 30% of adults have never studied mathematics at school, 50% have never studied biological sciences and 55% have never studied physical and chemical science. This emerges from an article in a recent issue of the South African Journal of Science. The level of public understanding of science in South Africa […]

The neighbourhood is no longer national, but global, writes David Beresford It was, in one sense, the cellphones which gave a unique flavour to the tragedy, more heartbreaking than the details of scale. The wife poignantly asking her husband, in government service on the ground, what to tell the pilot to do. The hefty young […]