Hazel Friedman “ORWELLIAN state interference,” claims Helen Suzman’s new liberal foundation of draft legislation proposing tighter control of South Africa’s NGO-sector — but many of the organisations who would be affected say the red alert is mostly a red herring. Formed to promote liberal democratic values, the Helen Suzman Foundation — due to be launched […]

Energy Africa Limited is Engen’s hope for future market improvements, reports Lynda After a lacklustre year, Engen has revived market interest with the decision to go ahead with plans to list its exploration and production business on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The new company, to be known as Energy Africa Limited, is expected to […]

Staff at the SABC and Sowetan are accusing their managements of kowtowing to the ANC, report Marion Edmunds and Rehana Rossouw Staff in the newsrooms of both the South African Broadcasting Corporation and Sowetan, the country’s largest daily, charge their independence has been compromised, and accuse management of “meddling” to curry favour with the African […]

Cinema: Andrew Worsdale MACHISMO meets facetious jokiness in Robert Rodriguez’ Desperado, the disappointing follow-up to his zany and spirited $7 000 art- house hit, El Mariachi. Antonio (baby-fat) Banderas plays the balladeer who travels with a veritable armoury inside his guitar-case as he proceeds to exact revenge on a druglord in a small Mexican border […]

Stand-up comedy is enjoying an international renaissance — and South Africans are getting in on the act, as DAVID LE PAGE MOST evenings at the moment, the Johannesburg Civic Theatre foyer is bustling with theatregoers missing a great opportunity: that of going to see — totally free of charge – — the Swopping Comics crowd […]

Jazz: Meshack Mabogoane THERE are musicians who use sound as the basis for working their beings into living monuments to creativity and expression. The sounds they produce are more than musical, however consummate their accomplishment; they convey something — the very depths, even — of the person. Both musician and music serve as conduits for […]

Justin Arenstein Faced with accusations of corruption in the awarding of school textbook supply contracts, the Mpumalanga Tender Board has dismissed the allegations as a racist attack on the country’s new political leaders. Officials did, however, concede that a criminal investigation was necessary following irregularities during the awarding of four multi-million rand school textbook contracts. […]

Two innovative ventures are set to improve the Gauteng public’s art literacy levels, reports HAZEL FRIEDMAN THE perfect instrument for assessing art literacy in Gauteng has, to date, been the microscope. And leading the “no-need-to-know” pack are past city councils whose role in cultural promotion has been so negligible — and misguided — as to […]

Contrary to government rationalisations, privatisation is not necessarily in the interests of disadvantaged South Africans, argues Brendan Martin THE price of water was as popular a talking point in the Gdansk birthplace of Polish Solidarity this week as the defeat of the city’s favourite son, Lech Walesa, in the presidential election. Water tariffs have risen […]

Chris McGreal follows a forlorn dirt track to Oloibiri, where oil was first struck in the Niger Delta 40 years ago ASMALL, rectangular sign on the dirt track into Oloibiri is the sole monument to the crucible of modern Nigeria. “This is Oloibiri, the goose that lays the golden egg. You are welcome,” it says. […]