FRIDAY 5.45PM: THE African National Congress in Gauteng has denied covering up evidence of financial impropriety by provincial Premier-elect Mathole Motshekga. In a statement on Friday, the party said: “Last October Comrade Tokyo Sexwale informed Comrade Motshekga in writing about the existence of certain documents alleging impropriety on his [Motshekga’s] part. The documents were made […]

Peter Makurube When you hear Philip Tabane play guitar you know you are in the presence of greatness. Tabane is the spiritual and creative force behind Malombo, a band that is a national institution or would be if South Africa cared much about original music. This weekend, those who do care will once again have […]

Stefaans Brummer and Mungo Soggot Documents in the possession of the Mail & Guardian show that the deputy president of the Constitutional Court accused Mathole Motshekga, the man who is to be sworn in as Gauteng premier on Monday, of fraudulently administering international donor money. These, or similar, allegations have been known to senior African […]

of education Mail & Guardian reporter More popular and less pie-in-the-sky. Thats what The Teachers new editor Philippa Garson has set out to do with the publication she took over last month. Readers may not notice the subtle redesign, but the new columns and features tailor- made for teachers cannot go unnoticed. A Day in […]

Hard Livings, but the living is easy Alex Duval Smith Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie’s favoured hood-wear of the moment is a bright orange cap that he wears slightly set back on the head to reveal the green- coloured underside of its visor. This, reflected in the gold-rimmed mirror sunglasses which are perpetually perched […]

Robert Kirby : Loose cannon If you’ve kept your finger on the pulse, you will have been as delighted as I was to see that torturous old South African racism has at last taken a refreshing turn for the worse. Like many pernicious things in our history, racism has always had a tendency to flourish […]

Duncan McKay The discovery of 13 vials containing human growth hormone in the luggage of a Chinese swimmer as she passed through Perth customs on her way to the World Swimming Championships is another indication of extensive drug abuse in China. The Chinese have been accused of taking drugs since their women won 13 out […]

Steve Morris : Rugby We are barely a month away from the start of another round of Super 12 and a season which surely spells the end of the age of innocence for this country in a game which has mirrored the South African condition of blending the cutting edge of excellence with the desperate […]

THURSDAY, 5.45PM: THE all share index on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange ended a relatively thin day’s trade on positive ground, thanks to an 85-point leap in the financial index. At the close the financial index was up 84,7 points at 9 891,7 while the industrial index fell 17,4 points to 6 946,7. The all gold […]

THURSDAY, 12.00NOON: MAKHAYA NTINI may make history on Friday at The Waca. If Ntini gets the nod to play he will be the first black player to represent South Africa in a fully fledged one-day international. Ntini, who has played in first class matches on the tour, will probably play against New Zealand in order […]