Mondli waka Makhanya RACIAL tension and frustration at the slow pace of change in the police service led to the revolt by policemen in Cape Town townships. Coloured and African policemen claim they are exposed to great danger by their white superiors through understaffing at their police stations while those in white areas are overstaffed. […]
Armscor and Fuchs Electronics have offered R108-million to settle an embarrassing US court case, report Paul Stober and Eddie Koch ARMSCOR is willing to pay up to R54-million in an out- of-court settlement to save its officials the embarrassment of being extradited to the United States for a trial involving charges of violating the international […]
Critical Consumer Pat Sidley WHEN an upmarket Johan-nesburg supermarket pulled all the chickens from its shelves it sparked a salmonella scare in the city. An investigation into the matter revealed that Woolworths’ fridges were empty because various diseases had affected the fowls and the supermarket was waiting until the chickens reached a larger size before […]
Andrew Trench LATIN is creeping into the East Cape legislature, and if you’re a politician that could mean being called “calamari” or a “baboon”. It all started with NP MP Billy Nel. Rising to speak in a debate on the fishing industry, he referred to his NP colleague Sakkie Louw as a “Loligo Vulgaris Politicus” […]
A Durban business project has aligned the ANC and Inkatha against the ANC’s traditional allies — union and civic organisations, writes Farouk Chothia THE ANC has found itself on the side of the Inkatha Freedom Party with its traditional allies ranged against it over its support for Durban City Council’s ostentatious building projects worth hundreds […]
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Linder Auditorium, Johannesburg THE FIRST concert in this year’s Glaxo winter series was rather disappointing, mainly because so much more was expected of the young South African pianist, Daniel-Ben Pienaar. In Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5 (“the Emperor”) Pienaar had hardly any idea of the structure of the work, and showed a […]
With the gold price at current lows, the age-old debate on whether to hold or trade gold shares is resurfacing. Although the trend internationally is for portfolio managers to trade all securities, in South Africa “investors tend to invest in gold shares instead of selling them like any other commodity,” says a gold analyst. “Gold […]
Gwen Ansell takes a look at the high notes and uncertainties of this year’s Guinness Johannesburg Jazz Festival THE homecoming of two eminent South African jazz performers is the highlight of this year’s Guinness Johannesburg Jazz Festival, running from September 30 to October 1 at the Market Theatre Precinct. Pianist/saxophonist/composer Bheki Mseleku returns after close […]
Anton Harber talks to Minister without Portfolio Jay Naidoo JAY NAIDOO is the official national kibbitzer. In Yiddish, a kibbitzer is the person who looks over your shoulder when you are playing cards and gives you unwanted advice. Naidoo’s job, as minister without portfolio, is to look over the shoulders of every other minister and […]
Economic analysts have revised down their growth rate figures for this year, finds Simon Segal NOT ONE of nine economic units canvassed this week believes South Africa can reach a three percent rate of growth in gross domestic product, the main measure of national economic activity, this year. The most optimistic are stockbrokers Frankel Pollak […]
‘HOOR HOOR’ — LOUDLY There is a new honesty in the constitution-writing process, reports Chris Louw IT was the World Trade Centre all over again, though not quite. The urbane Cyril Ramaphosa was in the chair, the wiry Mac Maharaj was there, his hand thoughtfully covering his mouth, and so were the boyish Roelf Meyer […]
Love it or hate it English soccer is back in business as the Premier League kicks off this weekend SOCCER: Luke Alfred DURING the first couple of months of the English Premiership, the more fancied clubs behave with brotherly indulgence. By virtue of a couple of narrow wins, Coventry, Norwich or Spurs step forward for […]
The Markets Jacques Magliolo Today we take you to a brand new casino in downtown Johannesburg. No, not to the Calton Hotel or some shady hole in Hillbrow, but to Diagonal Street; to that financial stronghold called the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. “When markets are quiet, we bet on horse racing,” says a senior equity dealer, […]
Gone are the rough, raw emotions. But don’t blame Koos Kombuis; it’s the production that’s the problem, writes Fred de Vries IT’S confession time. I love the music of Koos Kombuis. But his first proper album since 1989s Niemandsland is a bitter disappointment. Or perhaps one should say: it could have been so much better […]
Is regional public broadcasting the responsibility of the SABC or of the provinces? The first salvos have been fired in a heated dispute between the premiers and central government, writes Mark Gevisser A RAGING controversy over North-West premier Popo Molefe’s decision to appoint one of his provincial government’s advisers as director general of the vast […]
THE transition that propelled Safoora Sadek from activist to a member of the PWV legislature was so quick that she is still getting used to her title of “honourable member”. The former national director of the Human Rights Commission is also battling to come to grips with the culture of politics in the provincial legislature. […]
Peter and Gary Kirsten have already made their mark in the current test series … but they’re amazed they’re even there CRICKET: Paul Martin ON the Knysna lagoon a year-or-so ago, a rubber dinghy floated idly along. “We had a few Castles in the boat, and we didn’t even notice the fishes on the hook,” […]
Weekly Mail Reporter OWNERS of guns of all kinds — licensed or not, toys or real — will give up their weapons at mosques, churches and synagogues countrywide later this year if the Gun Free South Africa Campaign gets its way. Methodist Bishop Peter Storey, chairman of the campaign, said this week it was aiming […]
Paul Stober MINISTER of Safety and Security Sydney Mufamadi has announced he will set up a special team to investigate allegations of hit-squads in the kwaZulu Police — but one of the first people he will consult is somebody who has himself been accused of involvement: kwaZulu/Natal’s minister of safety and security, Celani Mtetwa. Mtetwa […]
The Nationalists called them ‘surplus people’, the government of national unity calls them ‘squatters’. Whatever term you use, they’re as ‘superfluous’ as they ever were, writes Cosmas Desmond IT was just like old times: people — angry, frustrated, powerless and, of course, black people — squatting in the dust waiting for the powers that be […]
Critical Consumer Pat Sidley SOUTH African consumers may soon have the advantage of the United Kingdom’s Consumers’ Association operating here. The CA recently sent representatives to South Africa to have look at the situation and is debating setting up an office here, which would also circulate a publication similar to its respected Which? magazine in […]
Native tongue Bafana Khumalo STOP the world, I want to get off! There are too many changes! My system can’t cope. The appointment pages of the business sections of newspapers used to be packed with proud, beaming white males whose bosses had just summoned them to their offices and said: “Jack, you’ve paid your dues […]
Farouk Chothia CRAFT vendors who display their wares on Durban’s Golden Mile, the sangomas who scatter dead pigeons on the city’s bustling pavements, the dress-sellers who shout their prices on street corners — these women are all members of one of the country’s newest unions, the Self-Employed Women’s Union (Sewu). Muti-seller Zodwa Khumalo is Sewu’s […]
Moveable Feast Michele Witthaus BEHIND the dusty, unimposing exterior of 25 Alexander Street, Ferreirastown, are a myriad curious objects on shelves and in glass cabinets. Gaudily painted statuettes share space with miniature Oriental houses, white rabbit sweets, ginseng remedies and “stop smoking tea”. A sign on the wall informs one that “The Chon Hing Restaurant […]
The schoolboyish spat between South Africa’s rugby administrators is hurting the players and the image of the game RUGBY: Jon Swift So South African Rugby football Union president Louis Luyt and South African team manager Jannie Engelbrecht have publicly shaken hands. One senses the strong hand of Sarfu vice-president, strongman Mluleke George, as the matchmaker […]
Weekly Mail Reporters THE PWV government yesterday disclosed sensational details of an alleged plot by drug lords to kill PWV premier Tokyo Sexwale. PWV government spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said he could “confirm the existence of a conspiracy to murder the premier” by a sinister group in the drug world. The reason the group wanted Sexwale […]
Business is trying to subvert union power by making unions shareholders and offering workers ‘no-strike’ bonuses, writes Jacques Magliolo The bargaining power of unions is under threat. Recent trends in the market show that management is refusing to compromise during wage demands, but is, at the same time, introducing bonuses for those who do not […]
Evidence of a bombs-for-oil trade between Pretoria and Iraq in the 1980s is being used to try to force Armscor out of the international arms market. Paul Stober and Eddie Koch report AN American court has accused a former Barlow Rand company of illegally supplying Iraq with bomb technology in exchange for thousands of tons […]
AND BLACK LITERATURE Bafana Khumalo IF you thought the deregulated broadcasting dial was going to be inundated with mindless pop and inane talk stations, despair not — help is at hand. Hidden among hopeful commercial broadcasters are prospective radio stations aimed at niche markets. Black-owned Skotaville Publishers is applying to establish a national community radio […]
Stefaans Brummer WITWATERSRAND Attorney-General Klaus von Lieres und Wilkau says Defence Minister Joe Modise’s moratorium on prosecuting people who fail to respond to call-ups is a “puff in the wind”. Modise said in parliament members of the Citizen Force and commando units — all white, because they were fed by whites-only conscription until it was […]
The nine ‘very frustrated’ provincial premiers meet central government ministers today in a fresh bid to sort out their lack of powers. Chris Louw reports ALMOST four months after assuming office, the country’s nine premiers still lack the powers they need to govern their provinces effectively. The nine “very frustrated” leaders will meet Constitutional Development […]
Sibusiso Nxumalo POLICE have launched an internal investigation into the conduct of two constables who allegedly haras-sed Alexandra Civic Association president Mzwanele Mayekiso. Witwatersrand police spokesman Warrant Officer Azwinndini Nengovhela said an investigation was under way. Mayekiso said that on Monday night he and his girlfriend were taking his driver to his home in Alexandra. […]