Khadija Magardie One of the leading lights of the Commission for Gender Equality, Dr Farid Esack, has thrown his weight behind deposed chief executive Colleen Lowe-Morna, who is bringing an urgent interdict to overturn the commission’s decision to fire her. In affidavits before the Johannesburg High Court, Esack has also called for an inquiry into […]

Paul Kirk As South Africa braces itself for a malaria epidemic, health experts are warning that a run on anti-malaria drugs may leave people defenceless against the killer disease. It emerged this week that pharmacies across the country are reporting fast- shrinking supplies of over-the-counter anti-malaria drugs, with several outlets in malaria hot spots having […]

Ruben Mowszowski The rift between science and religion and how it might be healed has been one of the hot topics at the Parliament of World Religions. But there is a sense of a discussion taking place too late. A marriage of a kind – one between spirituality and technology – has already taken place […]

Robert Kirby THE MIRACLE RIVERS by Peter and Beverly Pickford (Southern) Any new book by Peter and Beverly Pickford raises expectations. The work of these two gifted wildlife photographers has always been of almost solitary excellence. In a market these days far more than adequately served, the Pickfords’ work remains individual and always surprising. Their […]

God and old Nick square off in Hollywood’s latest batch of millennial thrillers, reports Brian Pendreigh Some guy visits a face-painting stall, opts for red and black and declares himself a servant of the dark side. Things go bump in the night in Maryland woods. Dead people walk the Earth and do not even know […]

The Heath unit is set to investigate irregularities at Technikon SA estimated to amount to about R60-million, reports Ivor Powell With his institution in chaos, the principal of Technikon SA gave himself a 35% salary increase, pushing it up to around R1,5-million per year. Attie Buitendacht neglected to seek the governing council’s approval for this […]

Shaun Harris TAKING STOCK The most profitable investment decisions are often contrary, made against the market trend or in the face of prevailing fashion. At the moment it seems that this thinking can yield value in the vehicle market. It turns out, according to WesBank CE Ronnie Watson, that motor dealers are currently looking for […]

One of the six cellular licence bidders argues it can bring low-cost phone services to South Africa’s struggling rural masses, writes David Le Page A 15c cellular phone call! Depending on who wins the third cellular licence early next year, such low-cost calls might become a reality in South Africa’s rural areas, where currently only […]

Mamphela Ramphele A SECOND LOOK The question I want to ask today is whether South Africans deserve democracy, whether they deserve the benefits of the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy. Douglas MacArthur once said: “No man [woman] is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.” This quote […]

ZIMBABWE sold 28 tonnes of elephant hides on Friday to both domestic and foreign buyers at auction for 23.2 million Zimbabwe dollars. The auction was conducted at the headquarters of the country’s National Parks and Wildlife department in Harare. The hides are used to manufacture high quality leather products. Last year 80 tonnes of hide […]