Claire Bezuidenhout Summers are extremely humid in Durban. In order to keep their cool, the masses cruise to the beachfront to hang out at the trendy open-air bars on North Beach or the magnetic mainstay of the Blue Lagoon. Girls waltz the promenades in hipster hot pants, low-cut Mae West blouses and platform shoes. The […]

Movie of the week One could get very cynical about Spanish- American heart-throb Antonio Banderas casting his own wife, Melanie Griffiths, in the lead role of his first directorial outing, Crazy in Alabama. But at least he had the good sense to cast her in a role that she’s more or less created through sheer […]

Howard Barrell The Mail & Guardian’s third-largest shareholder, British-based Joel Joffe, has been made a baron in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in recognition of his work for good causes, which include his chairmanship of Oxfam. Lord Joffe – as he is now known – was also the lawyer for Nelson Mandela and others […]

Howard Barrell Over a Barrel In response to the Mail &Guardian’s lead story last Friday predicting a “big bang” in government economic policy in the next six weeks, economist Nico Czypionka told Business Day he thought a “slightly damp fire cracker” was more likely. He may well be right. How so? Because the government may […]

soil Richard Bowker If we are to have a history Then their consensus is It lives best in conversation, disagreement, And has its being in the history-makers Of the passing moment. – Cathal Lagan, Alcantara Memories, 1956, iii. Song for Miguel Lovedale Press has been around for so long it has almost sunk into the […]

Jacqui Pile In a few months’ time, swiping your retail club card or using your ATM card may get you free rape insurance. Lifesense Disease Management is hoping that its rape insurance policy will reach the people that need it most in this way. ”If retail stores and banks purchase rape insurance for their customers, […]

Andrew McFall The first incarnation of Bunny Chow came and went in five months in 1997. At irregular intervals a candy-coloured sheet of social commentary, architecture, reviews and interviews would punctuate your mind with the definitive full stop. Then it disappeared, leaving hordes of Durbanites looking round in bewilderment. Nine issues of thoughts and words […]

AROUND 40 people were killed in Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos when a packed urban bus ran into a fuel tanker on a major route through the city. The bus apparently lost control and careered into the oncoming tanker, the state-run Daily Times reported. Witnesses, including fire services, said around 35 people were injured in the […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 10.30am. SOUTH African cricket president Raymond White is facing a motion to oust him as a campaign to appoint a non-white chief executive gathers momentum. The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) is meeting on Saturday to discuss White’s future and the appointment of a replacement for Dr Ali […]