THE enduring memory I have from addressing a group of pro-government students at the University of Cape Town recently is the expression “you must not say …”. They objected to hearing opinions and points of view different from their own. These students had probably not interacted with a senior representative of the Azanian People’s Organisation […]

Phatekile Holomisa, president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, in The Mark Gevisser Profile Nkosi/Advocate Phatekile Holo-misa, as his letterhead reads, is exquisitely tailored, today, in designer-trad linen-and-beads — the perfect attire for a chief of the Nineties. Indeed, if we had a real paparazzi press here, his fabulous December wedding to […]

Graham Hopwood THE majority of people in northern Namibia who have testified before a crime-combating commission, want the reintroduction of the death penalty for rapists and murderers. The commission, which started public hearings in Oshakati this week, was told that the Constitution should be amended to allow the death sentence for serious crimes. Those who […]

RUGBY: Jon Swift IT is perhaps something to be thankful for that the rugby season has swung back into the business of Currie Cup and the rude awakening of the test arena is, for a while at least, behind us. It will, until the tours of Argentina and France and the single international against Wales […]

Max Gebhardt South Africa’s censors have banned public viewing of the movie Kids and are even considering prohibiting private ownership. Kids is by all accounts a disturbing movie. While HIV-positive Jennie lies half-comatose on ecstasy after visiting a night club, she is raped by a teenage boy — just one scene from the new movie […]

Max Gebhardt Mega-university Unisa is sinking under the weight of deepening labour-related crises. Vice-chancellor Marinus Wiechers says he is considering using deadlock procedures and dispute resolutions allowed under labour law to resolve continuing troubles on campus. Staff and academics on the Pretoria campus have called for his resignation, saying Wiechers failed to provide effective leadership […]

FINE ART: Hazel Friedman Local Colours is like a one-stop spaza experience for the new South African. Mind you, while it doesn’t quite match the hyperrealism of a Disneyland tour, it also serves as a sort of technicolour theme park for the culturally curious. Curated with a quirky eye by Karen Harber, Local Colours is […]

Ann Eveleth MBONGENI NGEMA’S musical career has not fallen apart in the midst of the Sarafina II controversy, but the financial uncertainty around the future of the Aids education musical has angered some of his friends in the entertainment industry. Ngema, whose production company Committed Artists was evicted from its Durban offices last month after […]

William Fotheringham surveys the history of cycling’s most coveted record, which Chris Boardman broke this week CYCLING’S greatest of greats, Eddy Merckx, rated the one-hour track record as a “once in a lifetime” test of willpower and strength. Miguel Indurain, five- times winner of the Tour de France, struggled to break the record in 1994, […]