Tracey Simbi While the image of South Africa’s farmers as white, conservative, khaki-clad, beer-swilling men persists, the reality is quite different – most are responding dynamically to changes in the industry and new black entrants are slowly making their presence felt. In fact, a silent revolution is taking place in agriculture. While some changes were […]

Melvyn Minnaar : Potable pleasures Would you believe it? Sherry is making a comeback. Set to join the with-it crowd this summer, it’s certain not to go unnoticed by the trendies preparing to party for the end of the millennium. If vague recollections evoke visions of a pale brownish liquor that mother dribbled into the […]

The food revolution is changing the face of the world, report John Vidal and Mark Milner Six giant agrochemical corporations are poised to dominate world food production with genetically engineered food. The result could be millions of farmers unemployed, poor countries losing whole export markets, a consumer revolt in Europe, and concentration of farming in […]

Janet Smith The hairiest fun lots of Johannesburg theatregoers had a couple of years ago was Doo Bee Boobies, the soft-core drag show with beautiful ankles that forced them to stand up and warble or be singled out for a one-liner slap in the face. Janice Honeyman says she still adores the show, would dig […]

Neil Manthorp : Cricket Shane Warne and Hansie Cronje shared the spotlight and the headlines in a week of fraught tension and frayed nerves as the pressure builds before the biggest Test series in South Africa’s history. Not that the Australians are taking it lightly. The South African captain was accused of cheating for the […]

John Grobler in Windhoek Ironically, Wilfried and Molly Lubowski’s best hope to find the killers of their Namibian activist son now lies with Irishman Donald Acheson, the only man ever officially charged with his murder. Despite clear evidence that the September 1989 assassination of Anton Lubowski, lawyer and activist of the South West African People’s […]

He’s clinched a diamond deal and there are many other business opportunities awaiting outgoing Gauteng premier Tokyo Sexwale, writes Charlene Smith Tokyo Sexwale leaves the management of the golden province in January for the diamond mining industry. He has clinched a partnership with De Beers and lined up lucrative concessions in southern and central Africa. […]

Madeleine Wackernagel : Taking Stock I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, especially at this time of year, but spare a thought for the growing numbers of unemployed for whom this is definitely not the season of joy. News from the Central Statistical Service this week was glum: employment in the mining and […]

Robert Kirby : Loose cannon I would like to be among the first to rocket to the rescue of the reputation of Witwatersrand deputy judge president, HCJ Flemming. Talk about an irresponsible, a flagitious press, radio and television – never mind Raymond Louw. This last week or so poor Monas Flemming has had more scorn […]

The `great white Bushman’ was a storyteller whose gift was to create romantic tales, particularly about himself, writes Dea Birkett It’s a crisp autumnal afternoon in October 1996, and the view from the Chelsea penthouse flat is fine. On the shelves behind me, prominently displayed, are a year-old Christmas card from Prince Charles, snapshots of […]