Hopes are high for a gradual rebirth of a South African film industry, writes Andrew Worsdale ‘Every year I seem to feel the film industry surging with renewed optimism, yet nothing seems to happen. It’s all a state of foreplay with no penetration. well, now I can finally say — or predict — that the […]

Against all odds, the ANC emerged from Mafikeng alive and kicking, report Wally Mbhele, Sechaba ka’Nkosi and Marion Edmunds The African National Congress emerged from its 50th national congress in Mafikeng last week invigorated and more united than it has been since taking the reins of government in 1994. This was all the more extraordinary […]

Emanuel Shaw II may be the king of sleaze, but South Africa is not without its own homegrown sleazeballs, writes Mungo Soggot While discussing Liberian politician Emanuel Shaw II’s spectacularly corrupt track record in the West African country, a Liberian journalist based in Washington told the Mail & Guardian last month: “You must watch out. […]

“Turning around a ship the size of the SAPS is a little bit like making love to an elephant: first of all … there’s very little pleasure in it, there’s every likelihood you could get crushed, and I know from my house doctor it takes years to see the result.” — Police CEO Meyer Kahn […]

Bongani Siqoko : Soccer The World Cup tournament is only six months away and the count-down to the most prestigious soccer extravaganza in the world has begun. Travel agencies, printers and ordinary township people are gearing up for the tournament. It is the first time that ordinary people have had so much interest in this […]

Andrew Muchineripi : Soccer South Africa realised the dream of every football nation this year by reaching the World Cup finals for the first time, but a key figure behind the success will not be in France come June 1998. Clive Barker resigned as national coach last weekend following a disastrous showing by Bafana Bafana […]

Steve Morris : Rugby In the uncertainties that abound in the game of rugby, this country has managed — during a year which has had more than its share of trauma and perhaps less triumph than could have been expected — to formulate a new equation. There are four distinct sides to this: an administration […]

TUESDAY, 10.30AM: NATIONAL 10km champion John Morapedi overcame jetlag, high temparatures and high altitude to produce one of his most impressive performances in winning the Cali 10,4km road race in Colombia on Sunday. The Pretoria runner clocked a speedy 29 minutes 34 seconds, less than a day after making the 45-hour flight from Johannesburg. In […]

Glynis O’Hara : South African music On the one hand, there has been far more variety available in local music through 1997 than ever before, says Dave Alexander, owner of Tequila Records, but on the other hand there were “no stunners, no huge, extraordinary sales. Leon Schuster sold 130 000 (with Gautvol in Paradise), Rebecca […]

Julie Burchill For me there was only one book this year and=20that was Andrew Morton’s Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words. The transcripts of the tapes she made are heart-breaking; hearty Sloane clich=E9s interspersed with cries of agony like something out of Samuel Beckett. The first paragraph of the first tape — “My […]