The African National Congress has produced a discussion document on minerals and energy policy which proposes that legal rights are given to informal miners, like Zamzam Shongwe. This form of mining is seen as fundamental to the developing other related enterprises in the surrounding areas. A Small Mines Bureau would be established and its role […]
Eddie Koch It took the Pondo sangoma, Mercy Manci, exactly 40 minutes after walking through a thicket of thorn trees at the entrance of the Klipriviersberg nature reserve south of Johannesburg to locate a plant called ugobo whose root bulbs are used by members of her profession to treat sexually transmitted diseases and to collect […]
While politicians argue about political solutions to the KwaZulu-Natal conflict, violence monitors say only the justice system can end the violence, reports Ann Political violence has left at least 5 000 people destitute in KwaZulu-Natal over the past four months — and those are the survivors. More than 1 200 have been killed in the […]
Marion Edmunds The Department of Foreign Affairs is to adapt its definition of the ”family” to suit the new South Africa. Before 1994, diplomats living in overseas missions received certain allowances for their ”dependents” or children. Now Foreign Affairs wants to change the definition of ”dependents” to make it possible to include members of the […]
Aspasia Karras looks at the innovative parastatal that’s trying hard not to be a typical parastatal Intersite managing director Dirk Ackerman has been instrumental in ensuring the property-management arm of the South African Rail Commuters’ Corporation has not become a typical parastatal. Instead, he has created a state organ that can stand as a model […]
Marion Edmunds TRADITIONAL leaders are targeting President Nelson Mandela in a campaign to get more power before local government elections. Head of the Congress of Traditional Leaders, Chief Patekile Holomisa, sent Mandela a letter last week reminding him of promises made during multi-party negotiations. These included the setting up of provincial houses of traditional leaders […]
As most of what is said in parliament goes unreported in the daily media, M&G have offered MPs this slot to raise the issues that concern them. ANC MP Billy Nair kicks off with a call for business to play a greater part in social development. This is an edited version of a speech in […]
DR FANUS SERFONTEIN, surgeon and showman extraordinaire (this is the charming gentleman who responded this week to the Gauteng decision to keep in place a heart transplant moratorium by saying he would celebrate with another transplant), has succeeded in ensuring his own work gets top billing in the media. But it may be more appropriate […]
South Africa has bucked the international trend towards neo-liberalism. But this important challenge can only be carried through if the country’s social democrats make themselves heard, argues Eddie Webster In a recent article in the London Review of Books, RW Johnson rightly points to the fact that the Government of National Unity has accepted the […]
Ann veleth RECENT moves by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini have raised the stakes in his power battle with Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Zwelithini refused to attend this weekend’s “imbizo” called by the IFP-dominated House of Traditional Leaders to adopt a “Zulu covenant” binding Zulus to the party’s “federalist” constitutional principles. In the past, […]