Staff Reporter

Can a computer write fiction as good as that written by a human? Judge for yourself by going to InstantNovelist.com/human.html. Posted on the site are five 500-word stories, four written by humans, but a fifth by Brutus.1, a fiction-writing program developed by the Minds and Machines Laboratory. Only 25% of site visitors have identified it. […]

Cameron Duodu LETTER FROM THE NORTH The news that American farmers have filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Monsanto, for introducing “potentially dangerous genetically modified (GM) seeds to world markets without adequate testing”, couldn’t have come at a better time. Following so hot on the heels of the “Battle of Seattle”, the lawsuit signals that the […]

Marianne Merten Urban terror is proving a boon for personal injury lawyers in Cape Town. This week, a group of policemen lodged a civil claim for almost R500E000 against People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) for injuries the officers claim they sustained in a clash three years ago. The officers were wounded at the end […]

If the world does end on December 31, at least it will be having a good time. Christina Goumeas and Marthali Brand survey the globe’s millennial celebrations The first permanently inhabited place to see in the millennium officially is Pitt Island, part of the Chatham Islands, 850km east of New Zealand. Just 55 people, thousands […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 11.20am. AN excellent performance from lead off-pitcher Tim Harrell helped South Africa to a 5-1 win over Guam in Randburg, bringing them closer to their Olympic dream. The game was the first in a best of five series between the two countries, with the winners going on to compete in […]

democracy SERGEANT AT THE BAR Politicians do not like limits placed upon their power. They have a vision, whether fuelled by greed or

Neil Manthorp Cricket Gary Kirsten-baiting season is back. It’s a national cricket lovers’ pastime that stems from an understandable desire to have Lance Klusener batting everywhere from one to nine and to have Nantie Hayward (or whoever else is flavour of the month) bowling from both ends. Paying spectators have paid for the right to […]

Hutu detainees are fighting disease and hunger in concentration camps, while the Burundi army blocks attacks on the capital, writes Chris McGreal Josephine Ntahuga fears her son is dead. He was among 350 000 Hutus herded by Burundi’s army into dozens of camps beyond the capital, Bujumbura. Then he vanished. The army said he must […]

Channel vision As any year draws to a close it is usual for columns, such as this one, to be devoted to retrospection. What was the best and worst television of the past year? Fortunately such solemn assessments will not be my responsibility this year. This is because my various deep moles in the halls […]

M&G reporters Ccrimes against the state unit: A squad of former murder and robbery unit detectives tasked with probing People against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) related crimes. The unit was initially known as the Pagad task team, but later changed its name. It reports to Western Cape police Director Leonard Knipe, the man at the […]

Peter Dickson Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile has hijacked the appointment of mayors in an effort to strengthen support for the African National Congress ahead of next year’s local government elections. Stofile has given himself the right to pick all the province’s mayors, a task that has traditionally been left to local councils. The move […]

technology Bob Woolmer FROM THE PAVILION What a great Test match at Port Elizabeth – it had everything that a cricket connoisseur would want. Great bowling, gutsy batting, an English revival, confirmation of South Africa’s standing in world cricket and the fact that a game of cricket can last five days. Credit to the groundstaff […]

Speciality stores are springing up everywhere. From mom and pop to megastores – there’s a price tag on every passion. Claire Bezuidenhout, Langley Kirkwood and Matthew Krouse went shopping Western Cape Old Mill Guest Cottage, Gallery and Gift Shop: Some of the finest Karoo art for sale alongside home-grown herb teas, Robertson wines, handmade soaps […]

Barry Streek God may not play dice with the universe, as Einstein famously posited, but a church group in Caledon has a different take. The Anglican Church in the sleepy town is a partner in a bid for a casino licence. The church has taken this extraordinary decision after setting up an empowerment trust which […]

Paul Kirk Tycoon Jonty Sandler is to be charged with indecent assault, three months after allegedly raping a 22-year-old security guard. But a top KwaZulu-Natal policeman has accused the province’s director of public prosecutions of going soft on the millionaire businessman. The original police docket included sodomy, indecent assault, bribery and pointing a firearm. “If […]

Evidence wa ka Ngobeni The head of Edupark, a private company launched by the University of the North, has slammed a R2-million inquiry commissioned by the university as being little more than a smear campaign against the former vice-chancellor Njabulo Ndebele. Moss Leoka, the chair of Edupark, told the Mail & Guardian this week that […]

Khadija Magardie talks to an artist who is using music to take religion to the youth When Shaheed GC embraced the Islamic faith at the age of 16, he thought he had firmly closed the door on a singing career that began in his early teens. At the time, he says, he felt that music, […]

A war’s being waged in Durban, writes Alex Sudheim of the Battle of the Bands Having witnessed the unspooling drama of Durban’s seminal Battle of the Bands from the various perspectives of contender, manager, spectator, judge and now journalist, I must say the view from each hill is remarkably different. As contender I got pissed […]

South Africa is about to start building the second-largest telescope in the world , writes David Le Page June 1 1998. A nervous astronomer sat in Parliament, waiting to hear then minister of arts, science, culture and technology Lionel Mtshali deliver his annual budget speech. Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Bob Stobie, […]

Q&A Pop star Ringo Madlingozi will perform at the Union Buildings on New Year’s Eve. He tells us about his new single, his attitude to life and love, and his hopes for the new millennium. What can you say about your new single Into Yam? The song brings that kind of vibe that has always […]

Behind the beautiful, graceful film installations that won this year’s Turner Prize, hides an unassuming, bear-likeman. And, surprise, surprise, he hates talking about his art. Sabine Durrant reports To reach Steve McQueen’s Turner Prize- winning entries at the Tate, you have to walk through the rest of the shortlist first. Past Tracy Emin’s bed, onlookers […]

SOUTH Africa plans to increase the capacity of the showpiece FNB Stadium in Johannesburg from 80000 to 110000 if South Africa are chosen to host the 2006 World Cup. A bid committee spokesman said minimal expansion and upgrading is needed at eight other venues and new stadiums are planned for Brakpan near Johannesburg, Cape Town, […]

SOUTH African junior lightweight champion Zonke Fana on Tuesday night lost a 12-round decision to Dean Pithie for the WBC’s b-grade international title in Coventry, England. The bout swung the way of Pithie in the eighth round when he dropped Fana for an eight-count. The South African’s record drops to 11 wins and two defeats.

ELEVEN people were killed and three seriously injured in a four-vehicle pile-up between Hectorspruit and Marlothpark in Barberton on Thursday morning. Traffic authorities said a taxi driver tried to overtake a truck that was driving slowly and crashed into the back of it. It said another truck and taxi travelling on the same route could […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Thursday 4.30pm THE five-yearly congress of Zimbabwe’s governing Zanu(PF) party opened on Thursday with President Robert Mugabe blaming the country’s economic woes on sabotage by foreign-owned companies and banks operating in the country. Mugabe said steep price rises and shortages of commodities such as fuel and foreign currency are artificial and […]

THE Government of the Congo republic has targeted 700-million CFA francs (R7,3-million) to be used to kick start production at the Congolaise de Raffinage oil refinery. The refinery has not been operational for almost four years, resulting in the Congo being forced to import all refined products.

SWISS-based ferrochrome and vanadium producer Xstrata said on Tuesday that it has reinstated 369 dismissed workers after resolving an industrial dispute at its mine in Thornecliffe. All workers who were fired on the basis that the company reserves the right to discipline employees involved in acts of violence will be re-employed.

HOME Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s high court attempt to access Truth and Reconciliation Commission documents accusing him and the IFP of human rights violations has been dismissed. Buthelezi has criticised the report, labelling the allegations, “preposterous, false and defamatory” and denied any involvement in human rights violations.

SYNTHETIC fuel producer Sasol said on Tuesday it had approved an R835-million capital budget to build a new butanol plant with a capacity of 150000 tons a year. Sasol said in a statement basic engineering for the plant is likely to be completed by March 2000 and the plant is expected to enter production during […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 3.20pm. SUNDOWNS coach Paul Dolezar boasted this week that the Castle Premiership title race might be over by Christmas, but if his team continue to play like they did in midweek they may not even be in the lead by then. Bush Bucks, second last on the standings, were not […]

SOUTH Africa has been appointed as one of the three countries auditing the United Nations, new Auditor-General Shauket Fakie announced on Tuesday. This will result in a yearly foreign income of about R10-million for the country, he said at a news conference in Pretoria. The UN contract is four times the size of the one […]

A SECOND senior official resigned from the Post Office on Wednesday, only a day after the resignation of the institution’s senior financial general manager. The Post Office said in a statment that Doug Smit, the general manager of Speed Services, will be temporarily replaced by Steve Gill. The senior manager of the Post Office’s communications […]