Ian Traynor in Bonn The epidemic of tax evasion scandals plaguing Germany’s banks and industrialists spread this week to the upper reaches of Commerzbank, following the disclosure that its chairman and three other senior figures are being investigated for alleged financial misdemeanours. This follows on the heels of the biggest tax fraud inquiry so far, […]

Jacquie Golding-Duffy provides a first taste of Comtask’s findings on the South African Communications Services and the print industry Deputy president thabo Mbeki’s task group on government communications — Comtask — will recommend that the South African Communications Services (Sacs) be dissolved and replaced with a new and much leaner government structure. This will allow […]

The traditional lifestyle of a small fishing community in the Cape is being destroyed by developers, reports Rehana Rossouw FISHERFOLK living for generations on the beachfront in Paternoster are being forced out of their homes to make way for tourists and have now discovered they were probably robbed of their right to the riches of […]

Larry Elliott reports on the economic effect of shackling British trade unions THOSE of us who dislike Manchester United winning everything in football all the time should take some lessons from the way the British government has handled the unions these past 18 years. The first thing to do is insist that United are not […]

THE enduring memory I have from addressing a group of pro-government students at the University of Cape Town recently is the expression “you must not say …”. They objected to hearing opinions and points of view different from their own. These students had probably not interacted with a senior representative of the Azanian People’s Organisation […]

Phatekile Holomisa, president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, in The Mark Gevisser Profile Nkosi/Advocate Phatekile Holo-misa, as his letterhead reads, is exquisitely tailored, today, in designer-trad linen-and-beads — the perfect attire for a chief of the Nineties. Indeed, if we had a real paparazzi press here, his fabulous December wedding to […]

Graham Hopwood THE majority of people in northern Namibia who have testified before a crime-combating commission, want the reintroduction of the death penalty for rapists and murderers. The commission, which started public hearings in Oshakati this week, was told that the Constitution should be amended to allow the death sentence for serious crimes. Those who […]

RUGBY: Jon Swift IT is perhaps something to be thankful for that the rugby season has swung back into the business of Currie Cup and the rude awakening of the test arena is, for a while at least, behind us. It will, until the tours of Argentina and France and the single international against Wales […]

Max Gebhardt South Africa’s censors have banned public viewing of the movie Kids and are even considering prohibiting private ownership. Kids is by all accounts a disturbing movie. While HIV-positive Jennie lies half-comatose on ecstasy after visiting a night club, she is raped by a teenage boy — just one scene from the new movie […]

Max Gebhardt Mega-university Unisa is sinking under the weight of deepening labour-related crises. Vice-chancellor Marinus Wiechers says he is considering using deadlock procedures and dispute resolutions allowed under labour law to resolve continuing troubles on campus. Staff and academics on the Pretoria campus have called for his resignation, saying Wiechers failed to provide effective leadership […]