Duncan Mackay on the quick question that is giving athletics a touch of the twitches after Atlanta HIS feet speak as eloquently as those of Michael Johnson or Carl Lewis, and he has a treasure trove of gold and a world record to prove it. But Donovan Bailey’s Olympic accomplishments in the 100m have been […]

A classic of African cinema gets big-screen release in SA for the first time this week. Director Djibril Diop Mambety speaks to ANDREW WORSDALE THE celebrated rebel of African cinema, Djibril Diop Mambety (see pic) says it’s the mission of film to make people think — through laughter. He is an eccentric visionary, a poet […]

The players are doing their best against a formidable All Black side, it’s the leadership at the top that isn’t performing RUGBY: Jon Swift WE South Africans have a disturbing habit of closing our eyes to problems and hoping they will go away. Perhaps this ostrich-like behaviour is a consequence of having to live behind […]

A cultural battle is taking place at Potch University, where white student leaders are resisting any change to language policy, writes Max Gebhardt Afrikaans-medium universities are living on borrowed time. The South African Student Congress (Sasco) this week placed Afrikaans tertiary institutions firmly in the firing line after last weeks clashes at the University of […]

Ann Eveleth THE KwaZulu-Natal offshoot of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) is a politically conservative shadow of its Cape-based mother body, with mainly National Party supporters rallying around calls to confront homosexuals at gay bars and “deal forcibly” with doctors performing abortions. Led by a Muslim activist, a Hindu priest and a Christian pastor, […]

Kippie’s is not closing down, writes Karen Davies CONTRARY to press reports, the music venue Kippie’s is not closing down. According to the Market Theatre’s management, which rents out the venue, Kippie’s current managers are being evicted and “there will be a change of tenancy”. “This is brought about by the failure of Mr [Theven] […]

Dr Jan Visser talks to Madeleine Wackernagel about why management and unions must co-operate if South Africa is to boost productivity South Africa’s productivity is notoriously poor by international standards — the latest World Competitiveness Report puts us second-last out of 48 countries. Not a good record, agrees Dr Jan Visser, executive director of the […]

After spending a Sunday with the Mud Ensemble, CHARL BLIGNAUT finds that Johannesburg’s musical underground is alive and rocking TWO weeks ago I spun out,” says Juliana Venter, the singer with Mud Ensemble. “I never realised I had so much evil in me … So much power to hurt other people …” “It’s been a […]

Nicola Byrne THE first time Olympic gold medalist Josia Thugwane received any support from South African sporting authorities was when he arrived at Johannesburg International Airport to depart for the Games in Atlanta. On that occasion he was given a kit bag which held two Springbok strips to add to the six pairs of running […]

Jon Swift IT is of more than passing interest that Bruce Fordyce, the man head-hunted to become the first paid executive director of the Sports Trust, admits freely to coming from a “priveleged, white background” and attributes much of his sporting success to this factor. For Fordyce now has the task of administering the body […]