It is bemusing for a country that prides itself on a democratic tradition which it energetically exports round the world as a paradigm for modern nation states, that the outcome of its presidential election remained in suspense so long after the polls closed. A travesty, you may cry. A gross distortion of the will of […]

The Smashing Pumpkins were inspired by metal in a digital age to create a sound that, after their current tour, will be laid to rest Riaan Wolmarans It was very disappointing when, a few years ago, the Smashing Pumpkins were on their way to South Africa – and the concerts were cancelled. Then the band […]

Neal Collins soccer Three goals in his past four games; 12 in 15 this season. The man is a middle-aged miracle. He’s 34 and Teddy Sheringham can’t seem to stop scoring vital goals. On Wednesday night SuperTed shot Manchester United into the last 16 of the Champions League while Leeds, with their oldest player eight […]

Samoa’s David Tua has put poverty behind him to become a true contender John Rawling in Las Vegas Those passionless arbiters of sporting probability, the Las Vegas odds makers, may claim that the chances of Lennox Lewis losing his world heavyweight title on Saturday night are slim, but two nations beg to differ. New Zealand […]

Mail &Guardian reporter Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete has not shied away from tough talk that militates against a human rights culture in the police. Policing experts say the restraint promoted by former minister of safety and security, Sydney Mufamadi, has been replaced by Tshwete’s more gung ho approach to his portfolio. Some […]

Incidents of police brutality have not declined since 1994 – the numbers have even risen Khadija Magardie and Glenda Daniels As South Africa reeled from the graphic Special Assignment footage of police using humans as bait in a dog-training exercise, human rights experts this week said the incident was only the tip of the iceberg. […]

Cedric Mayson Spirit Level South African religion needs a revolution. Many who seek a united country are still inhibited from playing a positive role in transformation by relics of divisive colonial theology which leap to the front in conversations about Israel and Palestine, the conflicts in India or unity in our own country. Religious attitudes […]

Shaun de Waal obituary Sinclair Beiles, who died on November 3 at the age of 70 in Johannesburg hospital, was one of South Africa’s more unusual and often underrated poets. He was the first winner of the Ingrid Jonker Memorial Prize for poetry in 1970, but in later years was reduced to photocopying his poetry […]

Ntuthuko Maphumulo soccer Banyana Banyana top scorer Jo-Anne “Shibobo” Solomon, credited with 19 goals, promises local soccer lovers that “the title will remain here”, when the African Women’s Football Championships kick off in Vosloorus on Saturday. The early rounds will be played at Vosloorus and the Makhulong stadium in Tembisa, with all later matches at […]

Rob Kitson rugby It is not quite a case of “Will the last rugby player out of Sydney please turn off the lights” but right now it feels that way. When the Australian rugby union squad flew into Britain this week to join their Kang-aroo counterparts already there for the league World Cup, customs officers […]