There is doubt about who really occupies supposed war graves at Brandfort in the Free State Stefaans Brmmer Leon de Beer, a former MP who was jailed for cheating his way to Parliament, has emerged as a central figure in a controversy undermining three years of planned Anglo-Boer South African War commemorations. The centenary commemorations […]

Matthew Krouse Anyone who was around in the Sixties couldn’t possibly forget the local variety stage show called Wait a Minim that played to packed houses at Johannesburg’s Intimate theatre before touring abroad. It kick- started a trend of self-serving pathos in indigenous white humour. One would be hard-pressed to find a South African over […]

Shaun de Waal The M-Net Book Prize celebrates the 10th year of its existence this year. It has supplanted the CNAPrize, once South Africa’s leading literary award, in English at least (the Herzog Prize led the Afrikaans field), until it was discontinued by its sponsors. There was talk of its being revived in a new […]

Marianne Merten After South Africa’s 2006 World Cup bid received the thumbs-up from the Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) this week, officials now face a gruelling 16 weeks in the politics of international lobbying to bring the global soccer event to Africa. Crucial to strengthening South Africa’s chances is next week’s discussions with Brazilian […]

David Shapshak LIFESTYLE Even if it wasn’t painted bright pink, you’d notice Superbonbon between a garage and a bottle store. It’s in Richmond, that dead-end part of Jo’burg between Melville, Auckland Park and Milpark where international media share office space with a blood lab. Up the road is the Johannesburg Country Club. Superbonbon probably doesn’t […]

There is a poster on the London Underground which depicts three brains. Two of them are the same size. One of them is labelled “white”, the other “black”. The third brain is substantially smaller than the other two. It is labelled “racist”. We have had cause to wonder in recent weeks whether a number of […]

Jane Martinson Warren Buffett, the world’s most famous investor, on Monday declared 1999 the worst blot on his copybook yet, but refused to alter his approach to investment. He continued to warn against stock market excesses as his annual statement to shareholders in Berkshire Hathaway was published on the Internet. Berkshire, the investment vehicle run […]

This years Windybrow Arts Festival is jampacked with jazz, hip-hop and OJ Simpson Luvuyo Kakaza The house is perched on the hill. Around it, the dilapidated suburb of Hillbrow carries on with its daily grind. Throughout the year, this Victorian- style, picturesque Windybrow Centre for the Arts is relatively quiet. In March it comes to […]

Richard Branson’s hotel in the Ulusaba Game Park is so luxurious that everything, including the wildlife, seems part of a Hollywood set Laurence Marks The message is crackling over the radio. It is spoken in Shangaan, the language of the rangers who guide the open-topped Land Rovers across the 600km of road around the Sabi […]

Forget all those Rocky horror shows, sport is big box office business again Rob Steen The camera pans away from the centre of the ring towards the top rope, alighting on a patch of fresh blood. Black blood. Slowly, hypnotically, the treacly trickle becomes an ooze, splashing on to the next rung in a series […]