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 […]
Janet Smith When SABC3 announced early this year that it was to screen a two-part South African documentary called Death, TV writers muttered darkly about a bleak society, an odious world view and the depths to which our national psyche had sunk. Then the documentary from writer-director Luiz DeBarros and producer Mark Schwinges won three […]
Charlene Smith Since April last year, Old Mutual has invested R2,3-billion in 26 black empowerment deals and says there is no cap on how much more it is prepared to invest. The company’s commitment to economic empowerment is the biggest and most significant initiative from a South African financial institution. Its portfolio manager in charge […]
Phillip Kakaza strolled down Yeoville’s Rockey Street and noticed it is ready for reinvigoration Rockey Street, in the heart of Yeoville, is probably South Africa’s most famous jolling street, lined with watering holes and clubs, rocking till dawn. Some say it has gone downhill in recent years, but it still draws the crowds at night. […]
Michael Nurok Given that the number of people who die each year of malaria is equal to the cumulative number of Aids-related deaths in 15 years, one would expect at least equal amounts of money to be spent on research. Yet less than 10% of the amount spent on international HIV research goes into malaria […]
Neil Manthorp Cricket Few tours begin with such mutual agreement on the key factors; the turning point, if you like, has been firmly decided upon, even though the tour-bus has hardly left its London garage. The four most talked-about men since South Africa arrived have been Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton. […]
David Lewis and Jayendra Naidoo South Africa has chosen a path of social dialogue – but is it working? Social dialogue reflects the unique national pressures and circumstances of a state making a transition to democracy and introducing far-reaching economic reforms. A social partnership that is associated with a reduction in inequalities of wealth, income […]
Saul Klein A business exists to satisfy its customers. But South Africa’s poor service attitude is an important factor in the country regularly being ranked near the bottom in terms of competitiveness. One component of competitiveness that captures our poor performance has to do with the market orientation of local business. Market orientation means designing […]
Rory Johnston Operators of Earth satellites will be holding their breath on November 17 as Earth sails into the worst meteor storm for 33 years. Particles travelling at 240 000km/h will crash into virtually every satellite, and the damage could be slight or it could be enough to put satellites out of commission entirely. Every […]
Rupert Jones Banks and building societies in the United Kingdom are pouring money into ever-more sophisticated services, but are they focusing on tomorrow at the expense of today’s mundane issues, such as customer complaints and lunchtime queues? There have been a spate of personal computer (PC) and Internet banking initiatives. This week, Royal Bank of […]