In the May 9 to 15 issue the Mail & Guardian reported that magistrate James van Wyk had granted bail to Dan Mabote, a man accused of raping a seven-year-old girl. The girl, Mamokgethi Malebana, had disappeared. An M&G reporter was informed by the clerk of the Germiston Regional Court that Van Wyk heard the […]

Gustav Thiel Residents of Betlong township outside Delmas have approached the Human Rights Commission (HRC) for assistance after they were allegedly assaulted by white South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers. They claim their attempts to lay charges against their assailants have been ignored by local police. Both the SANDF and the police say, in […]

problem Madeleine Wackernagel : Taking Stock As analysts and the markets fte the Gencor-Gold Fields creation of Goldco, the directors of JCI and Lonrho must be feeling increasingly left out in the cold. Not only did their plans for closer relations meet with a very muted response, but now speculation is growing that the Duiker- […]

A top Apla commander talks to the M&G to counter a `smear campaign’ against the PAC leader. Marion Edmunds reports The role of Pan Africanist Congress leader Bishop Stanley Mogoba as state witness in a terrorism trial nearly 10 years ago is being quietly touted as a key reason why he should not try for […]

Of the countries of the Southern Africa Development Community which committed themselves to “promoting an independent and pluralistic African press” in the Windhoek Declaration, only South Africa has made notable progress towards media independence, says John Manyarara, chair of Trust Fund Board of the Media Institute of Southern Africa in its annual report of 1996/1997. […]

Mukoni T Ratshitanga Staff and students from the Soshanguve Technikon Northern Gauteng (TNG) this week picketed outside Pace magazine’s Johannesburg offices in protest against what they called “a media bashing campaign”. They claimed the magazine’s September and October editions branded the institution “a haven for criminals and a campus of terror” and created the impression […]

Swapna Prabhakaran It is no longer compulsory for women in South Africa to “find a man” before having children, as laws governing access to the technology for artificial insemination changed this week. Outdated regulations in the Human Tissue Act have been rewritten in this week’s Government Gazette to allow women to become mothers regardless of […]

The provinces have an impossible choice: retrench teachers or go over budget, writes Andy Duffy Provincial education departments are urging the national government to consider lifting the ban on the forced retrenchment of teachers. The provinces say attempts to cut personnel costs through voluntary retrenchment and redeployment have failed, leaving them little choice but to […]

Peter Hillmore Women make good spies. Maybe because men are putty in their hands, maybe it’s because they are believed to be duplicitous anyway, or perhaps the reason is best left to psychologists. Women have entered the second oldest profession from such diverse areas as Hollywood film sets, smoky French cabaret bars and the playing […]

V.Roger Prabasarkar :Cricket The second Test begins today (Friday) in the small town of Sheikhupura, big enough to stage international cricket but not quite grown-up enough to boast an international hotel. The squad and accompanying entourage will be staying in the beautiful city of Lahore, no more than 25km from the ground but at least […]