Just 10 years ago, this week’s Desert Classic could not have taken place. David Davies on the miracle of golf in Dubai Every evening at the Emirates Golf Club, the tables are dressed for dinner. Severely starched tablecloths lie underneath the silver service, with the wine glasses stretching away in serried ranks towards the centrepiece, […]

THE South African navy said on Thursday it has sent a team of specialist divers to join Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces recovering weapons that may have been thrown into dams in Lesotho. Lesotho police asked for help after a weapon was found in Lithabaneng Dam near the capital, Maseru, military spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Laverne […]

Ferial Haffajee The Pan Africanist Congress will give the death penalty the chop but will sever the lesser limbs of criminals. If it assumes power after the elections, the party will also ban abortion, rescind anti-smoking legislation, scrap national debt and the provinces. The PAC pipped other parties to the post when it released its […]

Martin Jacques EAST AND WEST by Chris Patten (Macmillan) This is a book in at least three parts. In fact, it often feels more like a collection of essays than a coherent ensemble. But a common polemical thread runs through the book: it might have been entitled Patten’s Revenge. During his spell in Hong Kong, […]

The bright lights of Hillbrow are still luring visitors from all over the world. Emeka Nwandiko sampled its pleasures The crown jewels of South Africa’s tourism are the “big five” at Kruger National Park, the majestic Table Mountain with its beaches below, the Drakensburg region and Hillbrow. Hillbrow? The densely populated inner city suburb where […]

Gert Thys steps out from the shadow of Josiah Thugwane, but he’s finding that fame doesn’t necessarily pay, reports Michael Finch For some, the second-greatest moment of the Olympic marathon was when Josiah Thugwane raised his right index finger as he crossed the finishing line. For the historians it was a moment to record and […]

In his last state-of-the-nation address at the opening of Parliament, President Nelson Mandela understandably spoke of the achievements of the first democratically elected government. Within this context, it is worthwhile examining the record of our new Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, over the same period. After all, it was the rights contained in the […]

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a syndrome that affects the entire South African society. Aaron Nicodemus investigates After being raped by a gang of four police officers 10 years ago, Thandi Shezi (26) could not even look at a man without shaking. She jumped at loud noises and the smell of a man’s sweat made her […]

Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel’s budget has been labelled `boring’, but it augurs well for the future. Belinda Beresford and Donna Block report The government may be keen to flirt with voters before the election, but the latest budget showed an administration also keen to display a well-turned piece of economic discipline to international investors […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Friday 10.30am. OIL giant Shell will next week launch the world’s first large scale commercial solar electrification project which will eventually bring power to 50000 homes in the Eastern Cape. President Nelson Mandela will attend the inauguration of the scheme in the Bipa area on February 24, pulling the switch on […]