empowerment Madeleine Wackernagel : Taking Stock If it weren’t so tragic, it would be farcical. The great black empowerment dream has turned to dust – and not just because of the slump in the gold price, which, granted, didn’t help. What transpired at the JCI board meeting this week is a tale of mismanagement and […]

worst enemy The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is hesitating over a decision whether to subpoena members of the judiciary to appear before it following their failure to do so voluntarily. The hesitation apparently results from indications by the Bench that such a move would represent a constitutional challenge to the independence of the judiciary and […]

Andy Duffy The man who killed a Dutch pensioner and stuffed the dismembered corpse into a suitcase is to take legal action against the Department of Correctional Services for transferring him to controversial high- security prison C-Max. Jano Nortje, convicted last year of murdering a 76-year-old Dutch family friend, and triple murderer Casper Kruger were […]

Sechaba ka’Nkosi and Wally Mbhele Never in its history has the African National Congress approached its national conference as deeply divided as the party appears to be at the moment. The greatest challenge the ANC faces next week is not from its opposition, but its membership. President Nelson Mandela’s departure as ANC president is already […]

Trevor Lawson Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the motorway in your lead-free petrol, fuel-efficient, catalytic-converted car, along comes a report which suggests that your exhaust pipe is just the tip of a very noxious pollution iceberg. According to a report by a British environmental group, vehicles, like people, decay […]

Don Mkhwanazi continues the Central Energy Fund’s tradition of non-accountability, writes Mungo Soggot The Central Energy Fund’s handling of Emanuel Shaw II’s appointment to a lucrative state job signals disturbing levels of cronyism in this key state institution. The chair of the fund, Don Mkhwanazi, vouched for Shaw in the Liberian politician’s application for permanent […]

Brett Davidson : In your ear The country’s older radio stations have been re-inventing themselves to better compete against the fresh-faced commercial debutants new on the scene. The degree of change is generally in proportion to the level of competition in any given region. On the one end of the scale is 94.7 Highveld Stereo. […]

Andrew Spencer : Golf So, Nick Price has another million dollars. He earned it, as he said after his one-shot win at Sun City last weekend, “the hard way”. Price may not have the fanatical support Ernie Els enjoys among the South African public but, despite the Zimbabwean colours he flies, his roots are sunk […]

Social worker Tshengesiwe Mthembu was walking to work last Saturday morning when she found herself caught up in a modern-day pass raid. Yeoville police were cruising the street in search of “illegal immigrants”. They were stopping individuals – all black – asking them to speak their home language, questioning them on key words and making […]

Andy Duffy One of South Africa’s top policemen has given controversial businessman Vito Palazzolo a written undertaking that a long-running police probe found nothing on him. The extraordinary statement, written in consultation with Palazzolo, badly damages and may even derail attempts by the Italian and South African authorities to investigate Palazzolo for alleged criminal activities. […]