Paul Kirk The vice-chancellor of the University of Durban Westville (UDW), Dr Mapule Ramashala, is hanging tough, refusing to resign or retire despite a motion of no confidence lodged against her and a mass exodus of academics. This week UDW lost two more senior academics, Professors John Daniel and Adam Habib, who are both world-renowned […]
Steven Friedman worm’s eye view Why do we not try to be world class at being ourselves? As so often happens in this country, a sporting controversy may be holding a candle to an important trend in our society. This time, it is the argument over the choice of venue for the 2003 cricket World […]
Barry Streek The Speaker of the National Assembly, Frene Ginwala, had taken the lead in unjustifiably challenging Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), its chair, Gavin Woods, said this week. “As both the chair of the committee and as a member of Parliament I see it as a constitutional responsibility that I defend the […]
After years of antipathy between Hollywood and Cannes, the Americans are finally proving that big box office movies can be creative and credible Akin Ojumu At the press conference following the Cannes screening of Moulin Rouge, Baz Luhrmann, the film’s Australian director, proudly proclaimed the film’s Antipodean origins. This was a film conceived and executed […]
Lawrence Booth ‘Corruption report stuns cricket world,” announced one website this week. Remove cricket from that headline, and you might be closer to the truth. Because for those in the game who have followed developments closely since Cronjegate and have greeted each new revelation with less shock and horror than the last there is precious […]
Timothy Wood American notes In January United States President George W Bush was regarded as an illegitimate usurper who would stumble in the absence of an authoritative mandate. In May he is having an early last laugh with a budget and tax relief package that is nearly everything he campaigned on. Intriguingly, the battle over […]
Adam Sweeting CD OFTHEWEEK Reveal (Warner Bros) is the second album REM have made since the departure of drummer Bill Berry, and (on disc at least) it finds them settling into a convincing identity as a trio. The puzzle is how to fit the born-again REM into their own 20-year legacy. While Reveal undoubtedly reveals […]
Scotch Tagwireyi and Nicolas Dieltiens The South African Reserve Bank has managed to hide alleged evidence of maladministration that is in the hands of its former employee Nicolaas Alant by reaching an out of court settlement with him. Wednesday’s agreement forces Alant to return all documents he obtained from the bank while working there. He […]
Alec Hogg boardroom talk If the way one handles money is the measure of a man, Bellville’s IT whizz-kid Mark Shuttleworth ranks right down there with former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje. The manner in which greenbacks corrupted his spirit may have been subtler, but like the disgraced cricketer, it’s been effective. Many people […]
No complaints as South Africa’s hopes prepare to take on Brumbies Andy Capostagno There are many factors that have propelled the Sharks to the Super 12 final, but four words are as important as any: “No complaints on tour.” That was the motto Rudolf Straeuli chose at the start of his first season as a […]