Phola Park’s economy Sechaba ka’Nkosi A housing project that started as part of the Reconstruction and Development Programme in the one-time battlefield of Phola Park on the East Rand is paying dividends to the community. The project – a joint venture between low-cost housing contractors Ecodev, the Gauteng Department of Housing and Land Affairs and […]
Design and concept partnership Eleutheria has made a name for itself on the off-beat beat, writes Ferial Haffajee It takes courage to step out of the comfort zone that a salaried job offers. The pension. The regular pay-check. Medical aid. “It’s a jump into the unknown,” says Mark Smith of design company Eleutheria, which he […]
The end is in sight for endless banking queues, writes Charlene Smith The bank client of the future will hardly ever go into his or her bank. Indeed, today already the way to save on frustrations and bank charges is to bank electronically. Increasingly we are moving toward a cashless society with petrol cards, debit […]
Vuyo Mhlati In response to the article “Tempers Flare on the Wild Coast” (Monitor, May 8 to 14), I’d like to make it clear that the call from communities on the Wild Coast is not for more consultation, but for economic development and jobs. At the launch of investment projects on the Wild Coast, the […]
Ferial Haffajee One of the biggest problems with solving unemployment in South Africa is that the government does not know the scale of the crisis. Politicians and statisticians bicker about the real picture. Unemployment has not been costed to understand its impact on the bottom line. Neither have calculations been made to assess how people […]
What people think of Boom Shaka’s Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika Lucky arch’ Lucinoaka (25), kwaito vocalist, Skeem: “I love it. It’s vibey and it’s appealing to the youth. But we still have to stick to the formal way of singing the anthem. We can sing the Boom Shaka version whenever we are celebrating victory.” Dudu Mpokela […]
Stephen Gray Unspoilt places The clanking centre of the Moffat mission near Kuruman is a real old museum piece – a manual printing press. A cast-iron precision machine, it kept running through most of the 19th century. Then abandoned and shipped to Kimberley, it was exhibited there as a pretty historic item – the contraption […]
The two police chiefs who vindicated Vito Palazzolo last year are likely to come under investigation as part of a new police probe, reports Andy Duffy Police chief George Fivaz has called on the presidential investigation task unit to re- open a probe into an alleged crime ring involving police, state officials and convicted Mafia […]
Melvyn Minnaar Potable pleasures Drinking and flying is not on. Even if you’re not piloting the long-haul Boeing, alcohol indulgence is bad for your body. The hours spent physically static and confined to a seat in a pressurised cabin, exposed to the ensuing dehydration, is not the recommended condition for a cocktail party, never mind […]
Maggie O’Kane in Niger They are sitting in a corner of the hospital, shaded by their compound wall. She is three years old, with dark, dusty ringlets and a buttercup yellow dress with faded pink tulips. They are on a wicker mat, apart from the others, him rubbing her shoulders and smoothing her hair. The […]