Russia may be one of the world’s fastest-growing capital markets, but it’s also the riskiest, writes Patrick Donovan Financier George Soros overstretched his talents with his latest sortie into the book-publishing world. But anybody prepared to wade their way through the billionaire investor’s biography Soros on Soros will at least come away with an understanding […]
FW de Klerk’s testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission this week was widely billed as an “apology for apartheid”. In reality it was less a case of mea culpa than J’accuse. The African National Congress, he suggested, was more a hindrance to reform — which was firmly on track from 1978 — than a […]
Eddie Koch THE ANC’s armed struggle never amounted to more than a “sporadic and symbolic endeavour” despite a moderately high cost in terms of deaths and casualties, says an unpublished account of the liberation movement’s military tactics written by a former member of the organisation. The study by Howard Barrell, entitled Conscripts To Their Age: […]
The Virgin Group is looking to enter South African media by teaming up with local financiers, writes Jacquie Golding-Duffy Voice of Soweto, a local community radio station, has linked up with British billionaire Richard Branson in a bid to obtain a FM licence in Gauteng. The application for a Gauteng radio licence is part of […]
Jon Swift EVEN now, the name Dennis Lillee strikes a chord as being one of the world’s great quick bowlers. Perhaps the great West Indian Wes Hall is a bit further removed from memory than the angular Australian. But Cedrick English is taking the thoughts of both these towering exponents of seam with him to […]
Nana Rosine Ngangoue in Brazzaville Private newspapers and magazines have disappeared from newsstands and bookstores in Congo following a decree banning their publication. The decree also ordered the seizure of all copies of the prohibited papers. It was issued last week by the government, which accused media houses of violating a new press law passed […]
A classic of African cinema gets big-screen release in SA for the first time this week. Director Djibril Diop Mambety speaks to ANDREW WORSDALE THE celebrated rebel of African cinema, Djibril Diop Mambety (see pic) says it’s the mission of film to make people think — through laughter. He is an eccentric visionary, a poet […]
Affairs and Tourism in The Mark Gevisser Profile Of politics and hairdressing On the passage wall of Peter Mokaba’s Italianate Sandton villa is a painting of a white baby suckling at a black woman’s breasts. It is shocking for two reasons. Firstly, because its rawness is so out of place with the anodyne designer feel […]
Ministers still refuse to set a timetable for privatisation and the lifting of exchange controls, writes Lynda Loxton The government dug in its heels this week in the face of mounting criticism about its economic policies and refused to give firm timetables for the key contentious issues of privatisation and the lifting of exchange controls. […]
Stefaans Brummer reports on the mystery surrounding the Project Coast chemical weapons programme PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela and his deputy, Thabo Mbeki, this week backed Defence Force Chief General Georg Meiring in his battle to keep details of South Africa’s apartheid-era chemical weapons programme from the public. Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday had […]
Mail & Guardian Reporter JUDGE Edwin Cameron was hauled into the spotlight in the Pretoria Supreme Court last week when one of his brothers, Judge Pierre Roux, took the unusual step of needling him and his recent landmark defamation judgment. While judges delight in torpedoing each other’s judgments, they rarely gun for each other’s personalities […]
Marion Edmunds The dispute over privatisation has shifted to the Department of Constitutional Development, with labour determined to block the contracting-out of basic municipal services to large multinational companies. Sensitive discussions are taking place between the department, provincial and national politicians, the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and representatives of the multinationals. Lyonnaise des […]
OPERA: Coenraad Visser reviews Tosca WHEN Scarpia slams his door to shut out the sound of Tosca singing, he makes the point that the power of the politician will always be stronger than that of the artist. Perhaps that is Pact Opera’s oblique comment on current events affecting the continued existence of this art form […]
The players are doing their best against a formidable All Black side, it’s the leadership at the top that isn’t performing RUGBY: Jon Swift WE South Africans have a disturbing habit of closing our eyes to problems and hoping they will go away. Perhaps this ostrich-like behaviour is a consequence of having to live behind […]
The Human Rights Commission has been hampered by red tape, finances and now the resignation of Max Coleman, writes Gaye Davis HUMAN Rights commissioner Max Coleman cites “personal reasons” for his decision to resign from his post. But the word in human rights and legal circles is that his action was prompted by disillusionment fuelled […]
Martin Thorpe MARTIN THORPE of the Guardian,” you say, offering your hand. “Gianluca Vialli,” comes the reply. Perhaps he thinks people in England do not know who he is. Such modesty comes as a shock. The severe haircut and ferocious grimace that sears his face when he plays give the impression of a short-tempered big- […]
If Primus beer runs dry, Burundians will know the economy has collapsed, reports Chris McGreal from Bujumbura Perhaps the safest way to get around Burundi is to hitch a ride on a Primus beer lorry. While other vehicles run the gauntlet of Hutu rebels, and the army moves with trepidation in many rural areas, there […]
Jon Swift IT is of more than passing interest that Bruce Fordyce, the man head-hunted to become the first paid executive director of the Sports Trust, admits freely to coming from a “priveleged, white background” and attributes much of his sporting success to this factor. For Fordyce now has the task of administering the body […]
A cultural battle is taking place at Potch University, where white student leaders are resisting any change to language policy, writes Max Gebhardt Afrikaans-medium universities are living on borrowed time. The South African Student Congress (Sasco) this week placed Afrikaans tertiary institutions firmly in the firing line after last weeks clashes at the University of […]
Ann Eveleth THE KwaZulu-Natal offshoot of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) is a politically conservative shadow of its Cape-based mother body, with mainly National Party supporters rallying around calls to confront homosexuals at gay bars and “deal forcibly” with doctors performing abortions. Led by a Muslim activist, a Hindu priest and a Christian pastor, […]
Vivek Chaudhary in London The British Queen, thought to be one of the world’s richest women, could increase her income sixfold under proposals to scrap money given to the royal family by the government, in return for money generated from property owned by the family. The proposal is one of five under consideration that would […]
Eddie Koch and Marion Edmunds A SINGLE incident is missing from the ANC’s submission to the truth commission and it speaks volumes about why both the African National Congress and the National Party this week failed, essentially, to take moral responsibility for the abuses committed by their members in the apartheid years. In July 1988 […]
Proposals by the Department of Health to curb the dispensing of medicines by doctors will create all kinds of other problems, reports Rehana Rossouw SOME three million patients across South Africa receive medication from their doctors every month. By the end of September, the Department of Health will have changed this. Dispensing doctors have united […]
Joshua Amupadhi Mining giant Gold Fields has finally admitted its men’s only hostel system may be at the root of violence which left 28 workers dead in the past month on three of its mines. Gold Fields representative Marion Brower said the company has begun setting up forums — a move to integrate workers regardless […]
Being raped is just the beginning of the ordeal for thousands of South African women, writes Angella Johnson IT was a bitterly cold evening when Gladys Masai wrapped up in her winter coat and set off to visit her aunt in Brits. The journey from Pretoria should have taken about an hour and she was […]
Brennon Marcano Over R100-million in assets is up for grabs as the government decides the fate of funds accumulated by the Wool Board, which is due to merge with the National Wool Growers Association (NWGA). Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture Derek Hanekom has decided to postpone the planned merger until a special two-man investigative […]
After spending a Sunday with the Mud Ensemble, CHARL BLIGNAUT finds that Johannesburg’s musical underground is alive and rocking TWO weeks ago I spun out,” says Juliana Venter, the singer with Mud Ensemble. “I never realised I had so much evil in me … So much power to hurt other people …” “It’s been a […]
Many Muslims are wary of the militant organisation that has a strong hand in the controversial anti-crime group Pagad. Rehana Rossouw reports On the eve of the elections in 1994, Qibla leader Achmad Cassiem pronouced from platforms in mosques in the Cape that South Africa would be an Islamic state by the year 2000. Between […]
Elliot Josephs talks to Rehana Rossouw about his struggle to launch a satirical magazine A CAPE Town author and artist is bringing a legal claim for damages against the Argus, owned by Independent Newspapers, after it refused to print his satirical magazine. Elliot Josephs, who describes himself as an “artist- cum-entrepreneur”, says his right to […]
Beeld’s new editor, Johan de Wet, will not bow to politics, but claims he will be led by the news, writes Jacquie Golding-Duffy He is not arrogant, but soft-spoken, seemingly quite laid-back. As a senior managing director from a rival publishing house put it: “He was never a gutsy type of journalist; nor is he […]
Ann Eveleth Western Cape National Party leader Dawie de Villiers has been tipped for an ambassadorship, along with Inkatha Freedom Party MP Lionel Mtshali, in a new round of appointments expected also to include the Pan Africanist Congress. De Villiers’ imminent appointment comes hot on the heels of former NP parliamentary deputy speaker Bhadra Ranchod’s […]
Plans to restructure the minibus taxi industry involve attracting foreign investment, but will also saddle the government with massive debts, reports Tebello Radebe The strife-torn minibus taxi industry can be made attractive to foreign investors if the government’s plans for the R8-billion sector take off. So says Dipak Patel, head of the National Taxi Task […]