The fat jokes are flying at the moment, but tubby or not Shane Warne remains capable of destroying South Africa’s hopes of a Test series victory in Australia. Robert Winder reports The first thing you notice about Shane Warne, Australia’s celebrated leg-spinner, is that he looks like a bleached koala bear. Chubby, round shouldered and […]

The next generation: those who will be at the forefront of their fields in the years to come. In the first of what will hopefully become an annual Mail & Guardian feature, we have captured a snapshot of 100 people, groups and trends that will be leading the pack as South Africa heads for the […]

Eugene Nyati Mr Dial-a-Quote bolted to the United Staes two years ago — after relieving Mpumalanga of R1,2-million for two months’ work — amid revelations that the Masters degree from the University of Pittsburgh in his CV was just one of several fabrications. His real name is Albert Nana and he was born in Zimbabwe, […]

EXCLUSIVE BOOKS 1 What it Really Takes to be World Class by Clem Sunter (Human & Rousseau/Tafelberg) 2 Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt (Flamingo) 3 Madams Are from Mars, Maids Are from Venus by Francis, Dugmore and Rico (Penguin) 4 John Platter’s Guide to South African Wines 1998 =0B(John Platter) 5 Hansie and the Boys […]

The autobiographical stories in Deliver Us from Evil by Johnny Masilela focus on a rural upbringing. In this tale, young Johannes meets someone exciting on a train, but embarrassment follows My heart is filled with joy, for you have finally seen the light. You say in your letter he’d rather come and stay with me […]

Local kids are into fashion, music — and are as racially divided as ever, writes Maria McCloy The 1999 election is nearly here, and someone had better start figuring out a way to get into the hearts and minds of young South Africans, because it’s estimated that by 2000 the under-25s will form the majority […]

Aladdin’s lamp could solve some things for Trevor Manuel, but economics being what it is, more problems would arise, writes Madeleine Wackernagel Forget the whiskey (in this case, a bottle of Klipdrift would be first choice), socks and ties. What Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel would like in his Christmas stocking is a well-oiled, working […]

The powerful showing of former Mass Democratic Movement activists at last week’s elections for the African National Congress executive demonstrated just how keen the movement’s rank-and-file members were to ensure a balance of forces in their leadership. The “populists” — who dominated the top 10 rankings in Bloemfontein three years ago — suffered a severe […]

Angella Johnson recalls the sex scandals, crimes of passion and conduct unbecoming that fed the lust-hungry public in 1997 What people are most likely to remember among the memorable stories to come out of 1997 (apart from Princess Diana’s death and Winnie roughing up the truth commission) will probably not be the passing of “rob-em-blind” […]

Janet Smith If only the houses in which the Molois and the Dwyers lived in SABC2’s Suburban Bliss were on the property market, and someone with a lot of money came along and offered the families a bountiful pair of cheques. Perhaps then, with those irritating people and their tacky studio furniture out of the […]