Charlene Smith The government has launched a R10-million marketing assistance scheme to help entrepreneurs market South African tourism more aggressively worldwide. The International Tourism Marketing Assistance Scheme run by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism compensates entrepreneurs active in tourism for some costs incurred when encouraging foreigners to visit South Africa. The scheme provides […]

Mukoni T Ratshitanga Northern Province Department of Education staffers welcomed the suspension last week of their Director General, Zachari Chuenyane. Staffers say Chuenyane, suspended by MEC for Education Joe Phaahla, was “incompetent, inefficient and severely lacking in management skills”. Cracks in Chuenyane’s hold on one of the province’s most senior posts began to show four […]

Robert Kirby: LOOSE CANNON It is hard to hush one’s scepticism when, within hours of the mindless shootings on the Benoni smallholding, up pop grave-browed politicians in various displays of rue and distress. Her face set in scrupulous wrath, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was in court when the gunman appeared. Her ex-husband was at the shoulder of […]

Peter Mokaba used his ministerial credit card to buy clothes, groceries and sweets, writes Andy Duffy An internal investigation by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has found that Deputy Minister Peter Mokaba spent thousands of rands of taxpayers’ money on personal expenses. Department officials reported late last year that Mokaba had used his […]

Anton Marshall On stage in Cape Town If it’s very difficult talking to comics about serious issues, it’s hell talking to comics about funny issues. Somewhere in Church Street, central Cape Town, there is a unique little coffee lounge that is called – well, The Coffee Lounge. It is unusual in that one floor above […]

Greg Bowes CD of the week As a nightspot, 206 remains one of the better reasons to stay in Orange Grove. Its most important contribution to Gauteng nightlife has probably been as a middle ground for the live rock crowd and the funky techno and trip-hop kids. I mean, where else can you see a […]

Charl Blignaut It’s something of an unusual relationship, but there you have it. Like it or not, the international actor, prince of protest theatre and executive director of Johannesburg’s Market Theatre, John Kani, has throughout the past decade forged a very particular partnership with groundbreaking turn-of-the- century Swedish playwright August Strindberg. It all started in […]

Tim Radford meets the Princeton professor whose warning on human genetic engineering has drawn fire from critics but growing acceptance from scientists Watch out for Homo proteus, the species that changes its own shape. Last month Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking told President Bill Clinton – at a millennium lecture at the White House – that […]

Ferial Haffajee Here’s the dream: industrial development zones (IDZ) will bring prosperity to some of the country’s poorest areas, where new industries will fuel the renaissance of the economy as exports grow. An advanced labour relations system will solve disputes in record time as thousands of workers will be trained to service new industries. Here’s […]

South African and Mozambican investigators have failed to contact a potentially crucial witness in the McBride affair, writes Mungo Soggot A close associate of Robert McBride, who has offered information to counter allegations that the foreign affairs official was smuggling weapons in Mozambique, has still to be contacted by Mozambican and South African authorities. As […]