Wally Mbhele Colonel Jack Cronje, former commander of the dreaded Vlakplaas police hit-squad unit, this week went to listen to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s hearings on the State Security Council with anticipation. He was hoping his apartheid masters, specifically former minister of law and order Adriaan Vlok, would verify his amnesty submission – and […]

Melvyn Minnaar : Potable pleasures Now that even the country’s largest banking group has climbed on to the bandwagon, it can be confirmed: our lowly, once-shunned- for-tasting-like-duco, home-grown pinotage has arrived in the Big Time. A week or so ago the country’s top ten pinotage wines were selected under the auspices of the recently established […]

Wonder Hlongwa Security forces deployed to maintain peace and stability in the volatile Richmond area in Kwazulu-Natal have been accused of assaulting people during their attempts to extract information about the violence. Last Saturday night, Sithembiso Mchunu was attending a night vigil for two United Democratic Movement supporters who had been killed. Members of the […]

Maria McCloy Tourists at the Union Buildings in Pretoria gathered excitedly to take pictures of chanting people some thought had come to entertain them on Wednesday (right). But the entertainers were there in their capacity as members of the Musicians Union, demanding a commission of inquiry into the music industry they claim is exploitative. The […]

FRIDAY, 8.30AM TELKOM took its spat with the SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Satra) to a new level on Thursday, announcing that it had no intention of cancelling increases in the costs of calls to cellphones, because Satra’s objections had not arrived on time. Telkom said it had informed Satra of the proposed increases (see below) […]

Brett Davidson : In your ear Faced with a rash of new radio stations as competition, 5fm has once again spruced up its image and its line-up. The major change, it claims, is that for the first time in the station’s 22-year history, all the DJs are African. No – the station hasn’t abandoned its […]

Robert Kirby : Loose cannon I want to begin by repeating a truly dreadful politically correct word and see where it takes us. I understand this particularly bumsquint coinage has been lying around in PC wordbins for a few years now, but that doesn’t excuse it. The word is “draughtspersonship”. Think about “draughtspersonship”. Try to […]

Andrew Wilson spoke to actor/playwright Greig Coetzee, winner of six Vita awards The extent of playwright and actor Greig Coetzee’s dominance in this year’s FNB Vita Awards, where his play White Men with Weapons blew away some heavyweight theatrical talent, astounds even him. “I thought maybe one award for all the hard work, but six? […]

lost their souls Contrary to the widely held belief, there are honest, hard-working Nigerians living in South Africa, but many of them are too scared to own up to their nationality Emeka Nwandiko Despite his neatly coiffured hair and delicate pencil moustache, Sammi’s serenity is betrayed by the violent gesticulations of his arms towards the […]

FRIDAY, 11.00AM: THE Sowetan reports on Friday morning that Mpumalanga Premier Mathews Phosa is considering quitting politics after being asked by President Nelson Mandela to step down as a candidate for the African National Congress deputy presidency in favour of ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader Jacob Zuma. Phosa met Mandela on Monday, where he was apparently ordered […]