SWIFT action to fight the Ebola outbreak in Uganda has resulted in a much lower mortality rate than earlier cases of the deadly virus, and raised hopes of a speedy drop-off in infections, health experts said. The hemorrhagic fever caused by the virus usually kills between 50 and 90% of the people it infects, but […]

A national sporting body’s reluctance to take action against a child molester has highlighted the vulnerability of disabled children Stefaans Brmmer T wo sports associations for the disabled kept on a senior executive, sentenced to 10 years in jail for sexually assaulting a 16- year-old Down’s Syndrome girl, giving him the opportunity to continue working […]

Evidence wa ka Ngobeni The screaming started at about 10am. “Suddenly it looked as if the whole township was at war. I put my money in my cash bag and stumbled outside; that’s when I realised that something was terribly wrong,” said Daniel Mohale, a hawker who trades in Diepkloof, Soweto. “Hundreds of security guards […]

first Paul Kirk The University of Natal’s psychology department has helped produce a guidebook that teaches children how to cope when HIV/Aids wipes out their parents and leaves them in charge. As the Aids pandemic sweeps through South Africa large numbers of households may soon be headed up by children too young to even vote. […]

poachers James Hall Swazis’ cultural antipathy toward snakes has prompted the Swaziland Senate to rally to the defence of three poachers who were arrested for killing a 3m-long python. Senator Simeon Simelane raised a motion last week calling for the minister of justice to release the suspects. Other senators in their submissions depicted the poachers […]

David Le Page AFRICANFRONTIERS The downside is, South Africa is one of the world’s top 20 polluters. At least 93,5% of South African electricity is coal-fired. Eskom is the world’s single largest producer of carbon dioxide. Acid rain created by power stations causes fences near Bethel to disintegrate in just three years. The upside? Southern […]

Marianne Merten Taxi warlord turned local government candidate, Victor Sam, died this week the way he had lived – by the gun. But his death has left many wondering what hat Sam was wearing when he was gunned down in Crossroads in his car. The controversial taxi boss, township businessman and community figure was brought […]

Friday is reviewing the format of its television pages. We’d like to hear from you. Fax (011) 727 7111 or e-mail [email protected] with answers to the following questions and any other comments: n Would you like to see more DStv schedules, or are the current highlights sufficient? n Do you prefer complete schedules for the […]

Local artists are looking to surgery as a means of creation Michelle Matthews It is tempting to use the clich’ “cutting edge”, but surgery as art is at least a decade old. French artist Orlan is its most famous proponent, having undergone 10 cosmetic operations in her expression of carnal art. In her latest she […]