Ann Eveleth The Commission on the Restitution of Land Rights is “completely dysfunctional”, under-funded, under-staffed and way behind on delivery, say land rights activists, government officials and commission insiders. “We are the Cinderella of commissions,” chief land claims commissioner Joe Seremane says. “If the government will deny me the R20-million I need to do my […]

Mungo Soggot The man at the centre of the state oil scandal, Don Mkhwanazi, has asked the government to more than triple his salary to R1,2-million a year. Mkhwanazi, who works part-time at the Central Energy Fund as its non-executive chairman, recently sent a written proposal for an increase to the department of minerals and […]

Christmas shoppers may be keen to avoid the shops this year, but are there any gifts available on the Internet? Ann Eveleth reports South African Christmas surfers on the Net are likely to be disappointed again this year, with few options for local shopping as retailers take a cautious approach to virtual marketing. Apart from […]

festive season Stuck in Jo’burg over Christmas and new year? Bridget Hilton-Barber provides some good ideas for things to do 1 Top Star Drive-In. Just because the council can’t afford to switch on the Christmas lights in downtown Jo’burg this year, doesn’t mean festive Gauties should go without a spectacle. The Top Star drive- in […]

How do you win female readers? According to some, the answer is to talk down and to talk dirty. Kamal Ahmed reports from London We have had new man and new lad; yuppies, buppies and dinkies. Now a new species is stalking society – Magazine Woman. A report by the Social Affairs Unit, published recently, […]

Dan Glaister For the second consecutive year, Britain’s 20 000 Turner Prize has been awarded to a video artist. The prize was presented to Gillian Wearing by the British Culture Secretary Chris Smith at the Tate Gallery in London. Her victory over the three other women on the prize’s first all-woman shortlist confirms the dominance […]

Neil Manthorp : Cricket South Africa’s double-whammy victory over Australia in the last week, defending scores of 200 and 170 in 50 overs on awkward rather than impossible pitches in Sydney and Melbourne, has left this proud (all right then, arrogant) country nursing a wretchedly bruised ego. It is one thing to lose a battle […]

empowerment Madeleine Wackernagel : Taking Stock If it weren’t so tragic, it would be farcical. The great black empowerment dream has turned to dust – and not just because of the slump in the gold price, which, granted, didn’t help. What transpired at the JCI board meeting this week is a tale of mismanagement and […]

worst enemy The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is hesitating over a decision whether to subpoena members of the judiciary to appear before it following their failure to do so voluntarily. The hesitation apparently results from indications by the Bench that such a move would represent a constitutional challenge to the independence of the judiciary and […]

Andy Duffy The man who killed a Dutch pensioner and stuffed the dismembered corpse into a suitcase is to take legal action against the Department of Correctional Services for transferring him to controversial high- security prison C-Max. Jano Nortje, convicted last year of murdering a 76-year-old Dutch family friend, and triple murderer Casper Kruger were […]