by a thread Gregory Mthembu-Salter Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state say they will meet in Lusaka next Monday with other signatories of the Lusaka peace accords to discuss the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo following Congolese leader Laurent Desir Kabila’s failure to attend the recent SADC summit in Windhoek. The […]
David Beresford Another Country Some years ago I had my first book published – the realisation of which had been a childhood ambition and the experience of which turned me against it as a profession. The publisher so far exceeded civilised parameters of incompetence that I was seized with the idea I had fallen victim […]
It is time to turn our attention away from academic debates and look to the role of men in the spread of the disease Suzanne Leclerc-Madlala There is a mystery at the heart of the Aids epidemic in Africa that scholars have explored but have been unable to explain. This mystery has nothing to do […]
Howard Barrell The multiparty South African parliamentary delegation that observed the Zimbabwean elections in June is approaching consensus that the poll was credible and reflected the will of the people. But, because of the violence that marked the run-up to Zimbabwe’s elections, the delegation is unlikely to characterise them as having been “free and fair”, […]
Thuli Nhlapo and Evidence wa ka Ngobeni As the nation was celebrating the 44th anniversary of National Women’s Day this week, some women across the country were being sexually assaulted and others gang-raped. Women’s rights organisations have expressed outrage at incidents of rape on the public holiday reported at police stations around the country. The […]
Five lucky Friday readers can each win a set of nine Patricia Cornwell titles -her full backlist, which has just been reissued in paperback with new covers. They are: Post- Mortem, Body of Evidence, All That Remains, Cruel and Unusual, The Body Farm, From Potter’s Field, Cause of Death, Unnatural Exposure and Point of Origin. […]
Neal Collins previews the English Premiership soccer season, which kicks off this weekend with the Charity Shield Arsenal Manager: Arsene Wenger. Odds on being sacked this season: 6-1. Last season: Uefa Cup final, second in Premiership. This season: Make no mistake, the loss of Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars will cut deeply into Wenger’s carefully […]
Steven Friedman worm’s eye view We can let the police do what they want – or we can try to make them do what we want. Sometimes, an experience helps us understand issues better than abstract debate. The recent arrest of my colleague Xolela Mangcu is an example: it helped crystallise what is wrong with […]
Ebrahim Harvey left field When Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota played down press reports about a defence intelligence agent, Carien Pieterse, attempting to recruit an editor and other journalists to spy for them, and went on to say that he had no problem if this was done in the “national interest”, I recalled the controversy […]
Bob Woolmer from the pavilion South African cricket is in the process of re-establishing itself in the eyes of the world. The Hansiegate scandal and the ensuing mudslinging during the King commission ensured an enormous amount of rebuilding had to take place. Part of the rebuilding is in the hands of Shaun Pollock and Graham […]