Archbischop Desmond Tutu, as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is recently reported to have issued a decree to commission members to act impartially. Among the commissioners who are reported to have been cautioned are Denzil Potgieter and Khoza Menojo. Ironically neither of these commissioners were nominated by interested parties according to nomination procedures […]

Following revelations of irregularities at a Cape medical ‘aid company, the Department of Health plans to fight corruption in the industry, writes Marion Edmunds The Department of Health is planning a crackdown on corruption in the billion-rand medical insurance industry, introducing strict new laws and policing as a priority next year. Sources say last week’s […]

Stuart Hess The new head of the Department of Health’s HIV/Aids/sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) directorate has vowed to kickstart the organisation’s stumbling campaign, pursuing a strategy based on greater co-operation within the government. Rosemary Smart, a 48-year old former nurse, was appointed to the post on December 12 ‘ some six months after her predecessor Quarraisha […]

STEPHEN GRAYoffers his own view of the late Sir Laurens van der Post ‘And so there then I stood on the night of 21 August 1945, in the street in Bandoeng where my book The Night of the New Moon ended …’ ‘As I stood there watching my men …’ Because I had skipped the […]

A former commander ‘of the notorious unit has ‘been promoted to lead ‘the SANDF, reports ‘Ann Eveleth A FORMER commander of 32 Battalion, the crack unit recently linked to train violence, is set to take over the South African National Defence Force’s KwaZulu-Natal operations. Colonel Jan Houghardt ended his stint in South Africa’s dirty wars […]

Do you think there is a significant difference between this on the one hand: ‘Minister suggests that this movement must be broken and the police must perhaps act a bit more drastically and hard-handedly which would bring with it more deaths’, and this on the other hand: ‘Minister suggests that this movement must be broken […]

As tertiary education cuts loom, University of the North lecturers feud and Wits’s June Sinclair departs Disadvantaged students could continue to be left out, report Joshua Amupadhi and Stuart Hess Thousands of school-leavers hoping to further their studies next year could find themselves on the streets following the government’s drastic cut in bursaries. A string […]

Funny how a lot of people are commenting on the decision by President Nelson Mandela, himself a victim of gross human rights abuses and a former political prisoner, to give diplomatic recognition to Beijing, which has such a poor record ‘ especially as regards dissent. Now suddenly the ANC is being seen to be putting […]

ART: Dennis Mair At the Sluice event, what started out as bits of plastic and hose pipe transformed into an interactive art experience for the masses. The group of young artists got their shit together last week and mutated the B-Block at the Castle of Good Hope into a pleasure ride for anyone to absorb. […]

William Kentridge’s new multi-media production will employ Alfred Jarry’s despicable Ubu. HAZELFRIEDMAN spoke to him He is the grotesque personification of human greed and ignorance. And now, 100 years after his theatrical birth in Europe with the unforgettable Merdre (shite) Ubu, the scandalous creation of 19th century poet Alfred Jarry has been adopted by South […]