Brenda Atkinson review OFTHEWEEK Since coming back to Johannesburg in 1996 after an absence of more than 20 years, Rodney Place’s work has been characterised by lacerating irony, his perspective that of the city’s prodigal son, returned from his adventures only to find that he can’t get to the fatted calf for the security gates […]

experiments Fiona Macleod South Africa is earmarked for experiments on animals that have already seen thousands of them dying agonising deaths. The experiments involve pumping human genes into days-old piglets and then transplanting their hearts into baboons and monkeys. Top-secret documents by scientists researching the process, called xenotransplantation, show that thousands of animals have died […]

Barry Streek South Africa’s tougher new gun control regime is rapidly taking shape in Parliament in Cape Town. Prospective gun- owners will have to be older than in the past, demonstrate that they are competent to have a firearm and will hold a licence for a fixed period only, rather than for life. It seems […]

Mike Berger A SECOND LOOK The issues of race and racism in our public life seem inescapable. Yet ordinary South Africans manifest an amazing ability to relate to one another as members of the same human family; often much more so than would be suggested from the content of the media. Nevertheless, it is clear […]

Valentine Cascarino FOOD Anyone who has cruised Africa extensively would agree that Ethiopian food comes with an unbelieveable sucker punch. Instead of the humdrum and gruesome starch that is the standard formula in many African restaurants, Ethiopian delicacies, on the contrary, are deliciously spicy. Probably because, like coffee, some of the world’s famous spices originated […]

David Beresford Another Country During my peregrinations in search of a diagnosis – for the cramped handwriting and touch-typing blunders that were eventually diagnosed as Parkinson’s – I consulted an orthopaedic specialist. After tapping various joints and peering at me suspiciously, he pronounced the problem to be “writer’s cramp”. I asked him whether it was […]

Riaan Wolmarans Every little thing he did was magic. Or at least a crafty illusion, but it really appeared as if he didn’t mind singing Every Breath You Take for the umpteenth time. The audience certainly didn’t mind – Sting’s performance at the MTN Sundome on September 24 was anything but tedious. It makes a […]

scope Ivor Powell Restrictions on the government’s investigations into alleged irregularities in South Africa’s R32-billion weapons deals could see senior government officials accused of nepotism and self-interest let off the hook. The latest probe in a series that have produced no visible results was mooted by Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota after the release to […]

Sechaba ka’Nkosi The SABC is to axe its controversial acting head of news, Snuki Zikalala, next month. It announced this week the appointment of veteran journalist Barney Mthombothi. Senior editors have handed to SABC board chair Vincent Maphai a list of grievances against Zikalala. The board meets on Wednesday, when his fate is expected to […]