A Bill before Congress aims to increase United States trade with Africa, but it seems to benefit multinationals more than developing countries David Le Page An elephant dancing around to avoid a mouse. That’s the impression the United States gives in its efforts to substitute more trade for aid in its relations with Africa while […]

economy Belinda Beresford South Africans are not good at saving, an unfortunate situation for a developing country, which needs infusions of foreign money to create economic growth. More precisely, South Africa needs foreign direct investment (FDI), the dearth of which is the Achilles heel of the country’s economic recovery. FDI is money that is actually […]

Rupert Neethling The saying “Where America goes, the rest of the world will follow” is likely to come true yet again thanks to the implementation on October 1 of a United States law that gives the official stamp of approval to e- signatures. Globally, the acceptance of electronic signatures as legal tender can certainly save […]

virus International effort has been mobilised as the death toll mounts in Uganda Anna Borzello and Sarah Boseley Ugandan officials this week threatened to use force to prevent anyone leaving three areas of the country stricken by an outbreak of deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever as an international effort was mobilised to contain the epidemic. As […]

Robert Mattes a second look South Africans could be forgiven if they have become a little arrogant about their new democracy. After all, who could blame them? They negotiated a “miracle” transition, steering from probable terrible conflict to non- racial peace in a few short years. They engineered a state-of-the-art Constitution replete with innovations like […]

He’s got it all – fame, money and talent. But there’s more to David Beckham than that. He talks to Ian Ridley about fatherhood, Fergie – and how terrace taunts brought him to the brink When the camera is trained on him, he goes immediately, automatically, into that famous and familiar moody, brooding look. You […]

Is the expiry of the benchmark RSA encryption patent an Internet watershed? Karlin Lillington At a large security software conference held recently in Florida, United States, the most popular T-shirt among the 1 000 delegates was the one you could get for free from the exhibition stand for a company called RSA Security. On the […]

up Evidence wa ka Ngobeni A principal at a North West school has admitted to beating students for failing to contribute towards the salary of another teacher at the school. LS Thwane, headmaster at Montshioa Memorial Middle School near Mmabatho, made his startling admission to the Mail & Guardian this week after students and teachers […]

Police members have very little in the way of psychological support despite frequent brushes with death and horrifying incidents Tracey Farren Captain Clifford Wyethe of Kirstenhof police station near Cape Town ticks off his experiences of the past three days. On Wednesday a prison warder was knocked down on the N3 – it was his […]

Ebrahim Harvey left field The stand-off between the rural-based traditional leaders and the African National Congress-led government over their role and powers in the new municipal structure, though in abeyance, in order not to disrupt or prevent the local government elections in December, strikes at the heart of the most important democratic principles our struggles […]