Duncan Mackay ATHLETICS Though officials must fear having to act as peacemakers to Maurice Greene and Michael Johnson in the United States Olympic squad for Sydney, at least they should not have any problems from their runners for the women’s 800m, where for the first time in history one family will fill all three places. […]

Barry Streek A Caledon church’s decision to gamble with the odds and invest in a new casino has paid off, with the church’s empowerment trust having just bagged its first substantial pay-out of R1-million. And when the Caledon Casino, Hotel and Spa opens its doors on October 1, the Overberg Community Trust will receive 10% […]

researchers Nono Simelela CROSSFIRE Because the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is an issue involving the protection of innocent unborn/newborn infants, debates on the matter can be clouded by emotion and sensationalism. This is illustrated by Howard Barrell’s article “R800m to let Aids babies die” (July 21 to 27). It raises a number of […]

Ivor Powell The media blackout on Judge Willem Heath’s special investigations unit came about as a result of pressures from Judge Heath’s own staff – a staff afraid of losing jobs as the government squeezed ever harder on the maverick unit. Sources close to the unit said this week a virtual palace coup has been […]

With South African property about the cheapest in the world, perhaps now is the time to stop being a tenant and think of becoming an owner Ian Fife Property insiders who say that it’s time to start investing in residential property are supported by a recent world survey by Knight Frank that shows South African […]

Andy Colquhoun in Parramatta RUGBY Reporting on the Springboks occasionally puts one in mind of what it may have been like tramping in the wake of Caesar’s army as it marched into Germania each summer to campaign against the Visigoths (the author and proprietors of the Mail & Guardian in no way vouch for the […]

Khadija Magardie BEYOND RIGHTS TALK AND CULTURE TALK: COMPARATIVE ESSAYS ON THE POLITICS OF RIGHTS AND CULTURE edited by Mahmood Mamdani (David Philip) The politics of rights and culture revolves around a specific question – can a culture of individual rights coexist with the right of every individual to practice one’s culture? The essays in […]

slopes Monica Graaff Obituary To those who don’t climb – and I am one of them – the question “why” always comes up. Why risk your life unnecessarily? Why choose the most difficult route up a mountain when you could stroll up the back? Why? To Duncan Elliott, the 35-year-old South African alpinist who died […]

Paul Kirk Transvestites are almost always men and very often hetero- sexual. They enjoy dressing as women either some of the time or permanently. They may dress up in full female regalia in public or in private. They might also be quite satisfied by wearing a single item of female underwear beneath normal male clothing. […]

NicK Mallett has reshuffled a Springbok pack – but it still contains few aces Andy Capostagno It has been a tough week for Nick Mallett, the coach who could do without Mark Andrews and AJ Venter, but who thought that Percy Montgomery was indispensable. The crumbs on the floor are the last remnants of a […]