The ANC is in danger of losing sight of the real ‘struggle’ – creating a more equal social order, writes Heribert Adam THE African National Congress Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka, recently said black businessmen should not be shy to say they wanted to become ”filthy rich”. Such an attitude rings of […]

With police abusing their sick leave to score additional days off, many stations have been left ill-equipped to combat crime, reports Angella Johnson THE South African Police Service (SAPS) is planning a crackdown on widespread abuse of the service’s generous sick leave benefits as part of the efficiency drive announced by national Commissioner George Fivaz. […]

Caitlin Davies in Maun IN what appears to be an effort by the Botswana government to create more rangeland for cattle in northern Botswana, thousands of buffalo are being herded south into the Okavango Delta to make way for a massive cattle stocking exercise, following last year’s slaughter by the government of 250 000 cattle […]

IT smacks of a cheap jibe to describe Zimbabwe this week as a “banana republic”. But, however feeble a pun it might be on the name of Canaan Banana, the scandal which broke around the head of the former president further justifies that characterisation of our northern neighbour. The story of the rape of Inspector […]

Mark Tran in New York JAMES WOLFENSOHN, the most dynamic president at the World Bank since Robert McNamara, has unveiled his blueprint for reform of an institution struggling to stay relevant as poor countries increasingly turn to private capital. Wolfensohn’s “strategic compact” seeks to push the Washington-based bank further from McNamara’s culture of approval, where […]

Charl Blignaut THE Greater Johannesburg Central Library is about to spread its wings and enter the technological era in a big way. In a breakthrough for the city’s educational resources, this weekend sees the launch of a spanking new Multimedia Library that will steadily be building up audiovisual material until such time as organisations and […]

The Mortgage Indemnity Fund has admitted victimising a Sowetan community, reports Mungo Soggot THE key government player in getting bank loans for the masses has admitted to a group of Soweto residents that it collaborated with three major banks to blacklist a relatively comfortable area in Soweto even though residents meet their bond payments. Residents […]

Gustav Thiel A RESEARCH group established in Cape Town to scientifically research remedies used by traditional healers in malaria and tuberculosis has already had encouraging results. But, in the wake of the recent controversy about the Aids treatment Virodene, researchers are wary about drawing premature conclusions. Tramed, a joint effort of the Medical Research Council […]

Jim Day AIDS activists say Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma betrayed them with her ill- considered and premature support for the so-called wonder drug Virodene. Reacting to the report this week by the University of Pretoria and Gauteng Health Department, they say the minister’s failure to fully investigate Virodene before giving it her full public support […]