Roshila Pillay A stringent set of new measures to clamp down on kickbacks in the health industry has sent shockwaves through the medical community. The proposals were hatched before the scandal surrounding kickbacks among pathology labs was exposed in May. Some health industry observers have speculated that the recommendations could have been tightened in the […]

With Internet fraud on the increase more measures are being put in place to protect consumers Rupert Jones and Phillip Inman Credit-card companies are privately slapping hefty fines on rogue websites for misusing people’s card details amid a big jump in complaints about Internet fraud. Much of the problem centres on “adult” websites and other […]

Delivering services free is not the best way to achieve sustainable access. Derek Hazelton discusses the requirements for universal access to water In its local government elections manifesto the African National Congress promises to provide all with a free basic amount of water, electricity and other municipal services. Those who use more than the basic […]

Peter Dickson The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape and its former ally, the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco), are now officially locked in a bitter power struggle for control of the new Nelson Mandela metropole. Last weekend, in outright defiance of the ANC, Sanco’s leaders from Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch – […]

Aventis, which has been denied entry of its products into Europe by the EU, has applied to grow its genetically modified crop in South Africa Fiona Macleod A company that has had to remove about 300 food products from United States supermarket shelves because they contain a genetically engineered maize that may cause human allergies […]

Well known for his diverse collaborative work, Pops Mohamed says he wouldn’t be averse to adding a new genre to his repertoire MC Sparky Pops Mohamed is preserving the sound of ancient instruments in a modern world and hints at a kwaito collaboration. “Music is the only art form that brings people together at any […]

divide In a bid to win votes, parties in KwaZulu- Natal are fielding candidates in areas other than their traditional strongholds Jaspreet Kindra Political parties in KwaZulu-Natal are taking special steps to increase their appeal beyond their customary, often racially designated, support bases to bag as many seats as possible on the proportional representation list. […]

Claire Bezuidenhout It’s a blistering Sunday morning and the sun is sapping any chance of physical comfort as we drive into the MTN Sundome in Randburg. We’re greeted by an array of about 300 kids dressed in the oversized clobber of this generation, consisting of hoodies, three-quarter pants, trainers and awkwardly positioned skater caps. As […]

John Matshikiza with the lid off I had been living on the Senegalese island of Gor’e all through August. The day I was due to leave, another dramatic thunderstorm had come raging up from the south-west, with such force this time that even the islanders, accustomed to all the changing moods of the winds and […]

Nawaal Deane In the week that Angola prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary of independence, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has published a blunt account of the horrendous mutilation and terror suffered by civilians during the country’s lengthy civil war. Contrary to the claims of the Angolan government that the situation has stabilised, the MSF says […]