Staff Reporter

Paul Edmunds Granted, this was no inner-city free luxury bus ride. Instead, it was a jerky trundle on a diesel-smelling orange behemoth, askew on its tired springs. It was also probably one of the only times most of the passengers will ride on a public bus this year. Art Night was begun by gallery owner […]

A Booker prizewinner, he claims to stand at the crossroads where African and European cultures meet. But his magical mysticism means some people can’t tell whether he’s bridging a gap or meandering alone up a one-way street. Roy Hattersley spoke to Ben Okri By his own admission, Ben Okri finds “concrete prose the most hard […]

FLANKER David Wilson gave Australia a morale-boost on Friday when he passed a fitness test and was confirmed in the Wallaby team to face Wales in the first World Cup quarter-final at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Wilson, who is playing in his third World Cup tournament, passed a test on an ankle he […]

Cameron Duodu LETTER FROM THE NORTH We were at the end of the interview on BBC World TV. We’d been talking about Julius Nyerere. To round off, the interviewer asked, me, “So what would you say was his one great legacy to Africa and the world?” I couldn’t answer the question! “You can’t credit him […]

On Tuesday, Parliament’s portfolio committee on finance will hear submissions from non-profit organisations on the Katz commission’s proposed tax relief. Barry Streek reports In a remarkable display of unity shortly before Tuesday’s meeting of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on finance, non-profit organisations (NPOs) from across the spectrum of South African society have endorsed the […]

Howard Barrell WHO IS … JACKIE SELEBI? When word leaked out early last year that Jackie Selebi was about to be appointed director general of foreign affairs, departmental officials who had not been in the African National Congress and so did not know him were worried. They quietly phoned colleagues who had been working with […]

Heather Hogan This year’s Media Freedom Day has been celebrated with the launch of a new documentary on the life of deceased journalist Nathaniel “Nat” Nakasa. Commissioned by the South African National Editors’ Forum, Print Media South Africa and the Niemann Society of Southern Africa, and directed by Lauren Groenewald, its title A Native of […]

ENGLISH fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has failed to make the starting line-up for Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against reigning champions South Africa at the Stade de France. Wilkinson, who was replaced after a heavy tackle from Fiji skipper Greg Smith during Wednesday’s quarter-final victory at Twickenham, is among England’s substitutes. Wing Dan Luger has recovered from […]

Evidence wa ka Ngobeni The deputy vice-chancellor at Vista University, Professor Kingston Nyamapfene, has been accused of running a private education business from the institution, using its resources. CompuVista, a computer literacy business, allegedly uses Vista’s Bloemfontein computers, facilities and lecturers. This accusation is one of several allegations of corruption contained in a report compiled […]

Nashen Moodley Halfway through my interview with the creators and editors of Sheet, Durban’s newest, funkiest independent publication, I was politely informed that they refused to have their names published in this article. I became suspicious. The creative forces behind Sheet resolutely refuse to sell the publication or accept advertising, so there’s no money to […]

Jack Schofield NETWATCH Fatbrain is offering writers 100% commission for the rest of this year if they upload their works to e-matter, its digital bookstore. You can set your own price, which readers will pay to download secure texts when the service goes live on October 18. Normally Fatbrain will charge $1 a month to […]

Every 20 seconds a child somewhere in the world dies of malaria. Last week the governments of South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland joined forces in an ambitious anti-malaria drive. Mark Honigsbaum reports on the race by scientists to find a vaccine Every six months Dr Stephen Hoffman, a captain in the United States navy, enters […]

SPRINGBOK centre Brendan Venter on Thursday lost his appeal against a 21-day ban for stamping, World Cup organisers said. The decision, taken at a meeting of the tournament disciplinary committee at Twickenham, means Venter will not be available for Sunday’s quarter-final against England in Paris. Venter was sent off just before halftime in Friday’s group […]

Whatever fund managers may claim, Wall Street is dangerously overvalued. Larry Elliott reports April, said TS Eliot, is the cruellest month. Not as far as the markets are concerned. As Professor Tim Congdon pointed out recently, there seems to be something about October and declining share prices. This week was the 12th anniversary of the […]

AdamSweeting CD of the week The longevity of the Pet Shop Boys is one of pop’s minor miracles, particularly since they’ve managed to sustain themselves for all these years on a diet of disco and hi- NRG. There are signs on their new CD, Nightlife (Parlophone/ EMI) that the Boys are finally outgrowing their clubland […]

Richard Reeves BODY LANGUAGE It is the study which proves the point of a thousand conversations between women every day: they really are better off without men. With the decline of the traditional family, post-2000 is set to be the singles’ century – but while live-alone women are thriving, enjoying a rich social life and […]

LAWRENCE BARTLETT, Harare | Friday 7.30pm EMPLOYERS and workers alike on Friday slammed the Zimbabwean government’s budget for 2000, saying it fails to address the country’s worst economic crisis since independence nearly 20 years ago. The powerful Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) stated that workers “will not accept additional burdens” — a reference to […]

David Le Page First stop on a tour of websites dealing with unit trusts in South Africa must be the Association of Unit Trusts, www. aut.org.za. The association is the industry’s promoter and watchdog, and its website, though not properly kept up to date, is a good introduction to the industry. Its “guided tour” explains […]

Shaun de Waal Movie of the week Jack is a truck driver, accustomed to traversing large swathes of the dusty Australian outback. He’s also the author of a romantic novel, A Bird in the Hand, but he doesn’t want anyone to know that, because “blokes aren’t meant to write them”. He has made use of […]

Mark Atkinson The Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded last week to Canadian-born Professor Robert Mundell whose work on the advantages of common currencies gave birth to the euro. He believes sterling is doomed to extinction and predicts United Kingdom membership of the new currency zone will prove irresistible. In a world of volatile and […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Washington | Friday 9.15am. SOUTH African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu underwent exploratory cancer surgery on Thursday at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta in the southern US state of Georgia. The surgery “was to see where the cancer spread, and determine what kind of future treatments are necessary,” said hospital spokeswoman Michelle Stevenson. […]

It’s still north versus south in this weekend’s World Cup quarter-finals, writes Andy Capostagno The pecking order of world rugby will be decided this weekend in the four quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup and there is a very clear demarcation line to be drawn. If the three teams that contest the Tri- Nations are […]

provincial budgets Barry Streek South Africa’s nine provinces do not come cheap – their legislatures are budgeted to cost taxpayers R346,9-million during the current financial year, with R42,6- million going to the executive councils and R108,4-million to ordinary members. This means that 43,5% of the costs of the provincial legislatures are allocated to salaries of […]

David Moore A SECOND LOOK As we speed our way to the end of this century one might pause to reflect on the part the Congo played at the close of the last one. Then, as now, the globe was becoming integrated financially, productively and culturally at a frenetic pace. Then, as now, the heart […]

THE chair of the South African Football Association Women’s Football Committee Nastasia Tsichlas has resigned. Safa said on Thursday it has received and “regretfully” accepted the resignation, effective immediately. No reason for the resignation has been given. “Safa is very pleased to reaffirm its confidence in the women’s football committee and shall soon announce the […]

Stephen Friedman WORM’S EYE VIEW Our judiciary has landed in a series of storms – over its work rate, its sensitivity to concern about crime and, after Judge John Foxcroft’s judgment, its attitude to violence against women. So judges are understandably nervous about the future of the courts. Their independence, they say, is under greater […]

Fifteen director generals have left office since June 2, but Khulekani Sitole, correctional services director general, is one who has miraculously escaped the chop. Howard Barrell, Barry Streek and Wally Mbhele report The Cabinet has been responsible for the wholesale clear-out of the top level of the civil service in the five months since the […]

Matthew Simpson I discovered the virtues of the Independent Armchair Theatre one night when a friend and I stumbled out of Stones in the early hours of the evening, looking for somewhere to have another drink. I’d seen it a number of times before but for various reasons had never actually gone inside. But it […]

AN exchange of state visits between South Africa and China are being planned, Chinese Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Ji Pei Ding said in Pretoria on Thursday. No date has however been set for the visits. The two deputy ministers said there will be closer bilateral cooperation between their countries in the future, despite the fact […]

Now you can field your calls while you field the tennis balls. Julia Hartley- Brewer reports It looks like a chunky digital watch, is not much bigger than a matchbox and weighs only 39g. Its resemblance to a Star Trek transmitter enables the owner to do a convincing impression of Captain Kirk. This is the […]

Khadija Magardie A Cape Town-based advertising firm, Interactive Africa, is suing a rival firm for copyrighting infringement. The rival firm, according to Interactive Africa, copied an advertising campaign idea during a bid for a major potential client. The client, Dutch-based Internet service provider World-online, with its catching slogan “Freedom of Movement”, awarded the contract to […]

The Pet Shop Boys are back, always different, always the same, and permanently in fashion. Michael Bracewell speaks to the pair For a pop duo who had their first number one hit – West End Girls – back in 1985, Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, better known as the Pet Shop Boys, have a knack […]