Sarah Bullen Brian and two friends are in their mid- to late thirties. They all own houses, drive good cars and are what would be described as financially secure, meaning they have managed to put some money away. Each of them had opted to put his money into unit trusts, but late last year, after […]
Marianne Merten Cape Flats chess champs Kenny and Craig Willenberg are on their way to the exclusive South African Closed Championship in Pretoria later this month, courtesy of generous Mail & Guardian readers. And another reader, who wants to remain anonymous, is ensuring the brothers can defend their national titles at the South African Junior […]
art movie of the week Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iarritu, Love’s a Bitch (Amores Perros in Spanish) tells the story of three very different types of people, runs for two-and-a-half hours and, if that sounds a bit clinical, it’s a passionate but lucid masterpiece. There are no special effects, no grand skyline shots to tell […]
Hound hunting is the latest fad in South Africa, after it was banned in Zimbabwe Fiona Macleod South African hunting out-fits are offering overseas clients the chance to hunt predators, especially highly endangered leopards, with dogs. Using hounds to hunt down leopards is becoming an increasingly popular marketing tool among local safari operators after it […]
Shaun de Waal Body Language One hates to sound like Bill Clinton, but what exactly is meant by “having sex”? The “Shock survey on gay sex” story in last week’s Mail & Guardian rather blurred the issue an issue which one suspects remains fuzzy in the minds of many heterosexuals, not just those who are […]
Mbuyisi Mgibisa Agriculture in rural Transkei is hurtling towards a fresh start after the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs in the Eastern Cape introduced support programmes for small-scale farmers. This follows years of neglect of the sector, which has been reduced to sustenance farming and food security for rural homesteads. Mthuthuzeli Makinana, Eastern Cape […]
Tim Adams The Body Artist by Don DeLillo (Picador) Three years ago, with Underworld, Don DeLillo exploded the scope of the contemporary novel. He proved that it could fuse historical stringency with Cold War paranoia; could provide an arena for our techno-dreams and urban myths. His book was an 827-page manifesto for the sweep of […]
Stefaans Brmmer A German company which successfully tendered in South Africa’s arms acquisition package appears to have paid a company linked to former defence minister Joe Modise to lobby government on its behalf. The Mail & Guardian is in possession of a draft contract specifying that Futuristic Business Solutions (FBS) a company part owned by […]
Lynda Gilfillan food Just up from Fancourt Estate, on the road to George airport, is a turn-off along a gravel road that leads to Leila’s Arms Organic Food Kitchen. A stone pathway takes one through an abundant vegetable garden where bright green spinach leaves form rich colour contrasts with various kinds of lettuce. At the […]
Belinda Beresford The presidential security establishment has grown concerned about Thabo Mbeki’s alleged philandering, veteran journalist Max du Preez said this week. Du Preez, who has incurred the wrath of the African National Congress for saying on national radio this week that Mbeki is a “womaniser”, said in an interview on Wednesday: “This issue has […]