Mercedes Sayagues Swaziland’s claims on land south of Maputo bolstered supporters of Mozambique’s decision last year to reintroduce compulsory military service. Mozambique, one of the world’s five poorest countries, will recruit 6 000 young men and women every year to strengthen its army. The military service Bill was pushed through Parliament by the ruling party […]

Wally Mbhele A combined police and intelligence operation is closing in on the heist gangs and may see some of the masterminds behind the spate of cash-in-transit robberies nabbed soon. Sources within both the intelligence and the safety and security departments this week dismissed claims by one of the alleged brains behind the heists, Collin […]

Government’s hands-off approach has ensured an economic success story, writes Tim Trulock For 27 years, the former president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, nationalised not only the large flagship companies, but also many small, nickel-and-dime operations. The government became the major shareholder in Zambia and then proceeded to run it into the ground, destroying not only […]

Computer crime costs South Africa more money than heists and robberies, yet there is no law against hacking, writes David Shapshak South Africa lost an estimated R326-million to computer crime last year, more money than in robberies or violent cash-in-transit heists, according to police statistics released this week. And police are expecting an increase in […]

Belinda Beresford The news that 20% of the world’s silver supply had been bought by one company has the potential drama of a Hollywood script, especially since the last time someone tried to make a serious killing on the metal they lost about $1-billion. And the protagonists, Warren Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway, have […]

THURSDAY, 6.00PM: THE Johannesburg Stock Exchange struggled for direction on Friday, tussling with profit taking. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s adjustments appropriations speech in Parliament was generally well received by the market. The all gold index lost 11,6 points to close at 823,8 while the industrial index fell 23,2 points to a 7 823,9 close. The […]

Wonder Hlongwa The investigative task unit head, Bushy Engelbrecht, this week applied to have part of Sifiso Nkabinde’s trial held in camera. Engelbrecht said six witnesses fear that if their identities become known in the course of testifying against Nkabinde in an open court, their lives will be in danger. The former African National Congress […]

Lizeka Mda : City Limits A lifetime ago, couples would sit in Pioneer Park and smooch over a lunch of fish and chips, while mothers kept a beady eye on children mesmerised by a statue of leaping springboks. Ten years ago the park, wedged behind the Rissik Street post office and Joubert Street, still vaguely […]

Robert Kirby: Loose Cannon Question 3: a) What event was this British woman talking about in 1997 when she said: “A kind of floral fascism was at work … in a country ruled by grief police?” b) Around the same time a BBC camera chose to zoom in on a greeting card reading “God created […]

fiction Jeremy Cronin: Crossfire During the past months there has been kite- flying around the idea of a merger between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party. Peter Mokaba, in the flurry of interventions he made prior to the ANC annual conference in December, punted the idea. The IFP’s Mangosuthu Buthelezi slapped down […]