Gavin Evans The task of increasing a country’s medal quotient starts at the top. International precedent suggests you can even pull it off without a thriving grassroots base or deep tradition of participation. Take Britain, for example. Four years ago in Atlanta it experienced a disaster of similar proportions to South Africa’s Sydney effort. But […]

David Le Page AFRICAN FRONTIERS To slow the melting of the polar ice-caps, build some ceilings in Soweto. This is one of the implications of a study on environmentally friendly low-cost housing recently commissioned by the national Department of Housing. But it’s not the most important – making home environments more comfortable is a far […]

As a teenager, Naomi Klein was a dedicated mall rat, fixated on designer labels. A decade later she is the author of a life- changing book on anti-corporatism. Katharine Viner meets the woman who is reinventing politics for a new generation >From the age of six, growing up in Canada, Naomi Klein was obsessed with […]

morality Cedric Mayson Spirit Level Being good is not just an individual matter. Morality is also a communal problem demanding a communal answer because our dos and don’ts are determined by the society we live in. Just as many South Africans still live in racial enclaves that direct their politics and behaviour, so is our […]

The art of inefficient building in South Africa is by no means restricted to low- cost housing. Like clothes and cars, the design of modern South African buildings is only partly to provide utility – it’s also important to signal the status and fine taste of their owners. In doing so they have lost a […]

Mail & Guardian reporter Contemporary Western horror of eating people could be an aberration, and has a lot to answer for in the world of anthropology, which is a Western creation. Evidence for cannibalism abounds – even if circumstantial – both from the modern world and throughout history, but academic anthropology has found itself in […]

Rosanne Buchanan Food Gautengers can indulge and revel during Wine and Dine week, from October 1 to 8, when a network of about 70 restaurants will be offering fine fare at discounted prices. Inspired by the South African Chefs’ Association (Saca), the event is aimed at encouraging Gauteng residents to eat out more often and […]

Mike Berger We, the undersigned white citizens of this country, wish to unequivocally acknowledge and apologise for the harm caused by Europeans to the indigeneous inhabitants of the African continent and to all our fellow South Africans of colour. We recognise that slavery, colonialism and apartheid are part of a continuum of exploitation inflicted by […]

A 20-year-old classification error has led to the impending closure of a facility that provided for children with special needs Nawaal Deane and Roshila Pillay ‘Thank you for the world so sweet …” Two voices pipe up while the other children either hum along or listen intently. There are six children sitting in a large […]

Health workers face a difficult choice when deciding whether to disclose patients’ HIV status to a third party Tracey Farren Nokwakwa screamed from the pain in her feet and shook convulsively, but the doctor was unable to find a cause. The hospital ran tests and admitted her for tuberculosis (TB), a pelvic infection and an […]