Mungo Soggot THE series of transactions that have massively boosted black ownership of pay TV channel M-Net will inevitably prompt more black representation on its board, says chief executive Gerrie de Villiers. M-Net will soon represent one of the largest black empowerment transactions to date. The revolution in the company, which started life as a […]

Max Gebhardt THE rand’s latest fall will push inflation higher, demanding the restrictive monetary policy which has previously forced up interest rates, Reserve Bank Governor Chris Stals warns. In an exclusive interview with the Mail & Guardian, Stals also says it is anyone’s guess where the embattled currency will settle. “Any person willing to predict […]

Jacquie Golding-Duffy Seven of the eight charges brought against the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) general manager of television programme policy, planning and co- production, Melanie Chait, have been dropped. However, an SABC spokesman said Chait had received a written warning in connection with the eighth charge, which was “insubordination”, and was upheld. Chait was […]

Minister of Defence Joe Modise takes a tough line on the `arrogant mindset of the old SADF AT the time of our first ever democratic election, the thought in everyone’s mind was whether the defence force would support change. The result thus far has been encouraging, bearing in mind that in defence, more than in […]

John Glover in Milan THE privatisation of Stet, Italy’s telecom group, originally set for next March, now seems certain to be delayed. Meanwhile, IRI, the giant state holding company of which premier Romano Prodi was twice president and which controls Stet, is sliding fast toward disaster. Preventing IRI from going over the edge is vital. […]

In Cape Town NAT ZENO reports on a much- hyped project to film South Africa’s ravers as drug-free, eco-friendly Generation X-ers THERE are two sides to any story and it is easy to criticise, but when sitting in film producer Chris Roland’s office listening to him wax eloquent about “the project”; you are drawn by […]

The new Labour Court’s president says the Public Works Department’s motto should be `we do not serve; we sleep’, report Marion Edmunds and Mungo Soggot THE Judge President of South Africa’s new Labour Court, Judge John Myburgh, has slammed the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) and has savaged the government for ineptitude in implementing the new […]

voters’ cards Anthony Kunda in Lusaka THE Zambian government has sworn it will prosecute former president Kenneth Kaunda in the face of upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on November 18. Kaunda has been holding rallies around the country in the last week, asking people to turn their voters’ registration cards over to his party, so […]

Eddie Koch SAKKIE VAN NIEKERK had just spotted Willie, who had caused a bit of bother by hiding in a thick copse of trees on the farm near Pretoria, and was getting ready to fire a dart packed with powerful sedatives into his backside. “Well, wouldn’t you also hide away if you were going to […]

to Minister of Land Affairs Derek Hanekom went to KwaZulu-Natal to give away land, but it turned out to be no easy task, as this week’s guest writer Pippa Green discovered WE are shooting north up the mountain pass to the dusty outpost of Jozini, which overlooks the shimmering plains of the Makathini Flats stretching […]