Former defence minister Magnus Malan said the arrests yesterday of himself and 10 former military officials were the “biggest crisis for democracy in South Africa”. Speaking to journalists after the 11 men appeared in court in connection with the 1987 KwaMakhutha massacre, Malan shouted over dozens of black protesters outside the Durban Regional Court, who […]

Mamphela Ramphele tells how Steve Biko’s death in detention coincided with a threat to her unborn baby, in the third extract from her autobiography IT is difficult to explain the series of coincidences which began to happen after my return to Lenyenye (a small Northern Transvaal village to which Ramphele had been banished), other than […]

South African fast bowler Brett Schultz thrives on competing with his pace partner Allan Donald Cricket: John Perlman BRETT SCHULTZ, the story goes, was in the middle of a typically fiery spell against Sri Lanka when Kepler Wessels sent him a message, to be passed along with the ball. It was relayed in Afrikaans so […]

Philippa Garson THE debacle around Wits University’s “great black hope”, deputy vice-chancellor William Makgoba, represents a crisis on several fronts for the institution, including a battle for the top job. Clearly, a concerted attempt to discredit the man tipped to be the university’s next vice-chancellor by a group of senior academics, who presented current vice- […]

A local entrepreneur is confident he will be able to break the CNA’s stranglehold over foreign magazine distribution. Neil Bierbaum reports South Africa could soon see a plethora of imported titles in corner cafes and petrol station shops if plans by former Intermag operations director Butch Courtney pay off. Imported titles have hitherto been available […]

There is only one route open to General Magnus Malan if he wants to avoid the trial which is ahead of him. He and his co-accused can ask the court in Durban for a stay of proceedings because they wish to take their case to the Amnesty Committee within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission when […]

Neil Bierbaum A COMMUNITY radio station in Pretoria is challenging a decision by the Independent Broadcasting Authority to grant it a shared frequency. Its court hearing against the IBA was delayed this week for the third time. Radio Visarend has been allocated a frequency to be shared with two other Afrikaans community radio stations, Radio […]

Bridging the gap between black and white co-ops will define the role they will play in the future of the economy, reports Meshack Mabogoane The co-operative movement, long viewed as an ideal vehicle for blending elements of the market economy, democratic participation and collective ownership, may become a major factor in the drive for broadening […]

A war of words has been declared between Absa and Millenium magazine over an article defending former Tollgate chairman Julian Askin, reports Reg Rumney A number of puzzling questions are thrown up in the squabble between Absa Bank and Cape-based Millenium magazine over a series of articles it has been running on fugitive Julian Askin […]

Hundreds of IT contractors are leaving South Africa to pursue opportunities and larger salaries abroad. Leon Perlman reports A mini brain drain of information technology (IT) professionals in South Africa is being fuelled by a worldwide shortage of skilled contractors. Lured by comparatively large salaries, hundreds are thought to have left in the past year. […]