Swapna Prabhakaran Thousands of people evicted from Cape Town’s District Six in the apartheid era were given hope of restitution this week – to regain their land or get financial compensation. Their hope springs from a joint decision by the Western Cape provincial government and the Cape Town city council to withdraw an application made […]
Wally Mbhele The African National Congress this week said it had built up substantial new information to justify the re-opening of the case. The organisation said it will approach the high court to apply for the re-opening of the case and to make an urgent bail application “so that while the matter is being investigated, […]
themselves To address the country’s basic construction needs the government must facilitate community-driven projects, reports Aspasia Karras Sixty percent of all construction projects in South Africa are handled by 12% of the industry. “The South African building industry is in a state,” says Sam Amod of Development Engineering Consultants. “Serious restructuring is required.” Amod is […]
The shooting of a vital witness casts doubt on the Durban police ordered to protect him, writes Ann Eveleth A key witness in a KwaZulu-Natal political murder inquiry was shot twice while hiding in a hotel under police protection, it emerged this week. The man, 23-year-old Nhlakanipho Nxumalo, survived the attack. But, weeks later, he […]
While disaster is not yet imminent, farmers would do well to hedge their bets, reports Madeleine Wackernagel The Maize Board has been disbanded, but some old farming habits are taking longer to die. El Ni–o will be the big test, says Rod Gravelet-Blondin, general manager of the agricultural markets division at the South African Futures […]
Justin Arenstein in Nelspruit Mpumalanga’s provincial government “ran out of patience” with its former high-rolling government consultant, Ntsoaki Mohapi, this week and asked South Africa’s most powerful investigation body, the Heath Special Investigative Unit, to extract the R220 000 she owes the government. Mohapi paid herself the money, at a rate of R15 000 a […]
Maria McCloy Polygram’s Johannesburg outfit Bayete and Sony’s Jennifer Jones in Cape Town are the musicians wallowing in strong rumours that either act could support Michael Jackson’s HIStory tour to South Africa. Any label is allowed to submit potential support acts, and no one has been confirmed yet, but negotiations continue between promoter and Big […]
Andrew Putter: Performance art Cape Town artist Peet Pienaar is one of this year’s FNB Vita Award finalists. Each finalist was given a budget with which to make a new work, a work that will be judged to decide on an overall winner. For his piece, Pienaar interviewed Mark Andrews, the Springbok rugby player who […]
`plot’ Mukoni T Ratshitanga Armed security guards are patrolling the University of Venda campus after an investigation by Military Intelligence (MI) apparently uncovered a “student plot” to torch the university. The university’s vice-chancellor, Gessler Nkondo, called in the private guards amid a long-running boycott of classes, which has cost students much of the academic year. […]
Gaye Davis A hoax letter “signed” by Professor Cecil Abrahams, rector of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), nearly put a spoke in the wheels of the selection of a new vice- chancellor for Witwatersrand University this week. The letter, received by chair of the Wits council, Judge Fikile Bam, and circulated by him […]