Staff Reporter

Mungo Soggot and David Le Page South Africa’s revolutionary Mineral Rights Bill has been redrafted to make it more industry-friendly but it still raises doubts about whether it secures the tenure of mining companies and the continuity of existing mining operations. The new version of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Bill, submitted to Cabinet […]

Support for the United States could spark a hardline uprising in Pakistan Rory McCarthy In a stuffy room on the third floor of an ageing hotel in a smart Lahore suburb sat the men who threaten to bring Pakistan to its knees. More than 50 of the nation’s most hardline clerics met on Monday to […]

A recent report on Afrikaans in higher education has important implications for other indigenous languages, argues Gerrit Brand The draft recommendations of the Gerwel Advisory Committee on Afrikaans in Higher Education have evoked a lot of reaction, both positive and negative, in the Afrikaans community. Yet the other language communities in South Africa do not […]

Rabat | Friday THE United States and Morocco signed an agreement on Thursday paving the way for the construction of the north African country’s first nuclear reactor. The document completes an earlier 1980 accord and establishes a legal basis for building the reactor, at Morocco’s National Centre of Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technology, in Mamora, […]

One can only commiserate with the United States for the massive terrorist outrage visited upon it and more particularly the injured and families of the dead. All life is precious. As for George W Bush facing his moment of truth, I would rather say that it is not even the US but all of humanity […]

Suzan Chala Lack of managerial expertise is often cited as one reason for government failure to deliver. But the Free State provincial government is targeting this area of vulnerability: it’s sending its most senior officials back to the classroom. The Premier, Winkie Direko, senior politicians and heads of provincial departments in the provincial government have […]

It has been a busy, and sad, time for the Internet since the attacks on the United States David Shapshak As befits its status as the world’s communication medium, the Internet has been abuzz these past two weeks with the shock of the World Trade Centre bombings. For many, especially on that fateful Tuesday, it […]

Jaspreet Kindra Only three of the nine provinces are likely to elect provincial African National Congress office-bearers this year, amid a chaotic scenario where branches are being dissolved and reestablished in line with new municipal boundaries. ANC spokesperson Nomfanelo Mayosi-Kota says the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng are the only provinces likely to stage […]

Thuli Nhlapo While most ordinary men shy away from discussing girls’ issues in public, the King of the Zulu nation, Goodwill Zwelithini, and his loyal subjects still believe in the tradition of the annual reed dance where he proclaims girls’ graduation to womanhood. Traditionally, the king was expected to choose a wife from among the […]

THE South African Department of Foreign Affairs has released an update on South Africans missing in New York who may have been affected by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The department said it had sent a list of eight SA citizens to US authorities for confirmation that they are indeed […]

If the US co-operates with an African dictatorship, it is guilty of propping up an African tyrant; if it opposes the dictatorship, it is guilty of imposing American ideas of democracy on Africa; if it does nothing at all, it is guilty of “marginalising” the country. If the US acts, it is wrong; if it […]

Colloquium Wella Msimanga More than 30% of adults have never studied mathematics at school, 50% have never studied biological sciences and 55% have never studied physical and chemical science. This emerges from an article in a recent issue of the South African Journal of Science. The level of public understanding of science in South Africa […]

A degree in engineering provides graduates with numerous career opportunities Nicole Chidrawi Mention the word engineer and the picture of a person in a hard hat, building a bridge or surveying a piece of land, comes to mind. This image is sometimes far from the truth as engineers are involved in myriad projects: while some […]

Barry Streek The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has confirmed the firing of senior parliamentary official Nomsa Somdaka for using the services of five caretakers to paint her house and paying them overtime with parliamentary funds. Somdaka was the head of institutional support in Parliament. “Taken as a whole Somdaka had been guilty […]

Mail & Guardian reporter When you reach into the fridge for a bottle of iced tea, does the sight of cloudy liquid swirling around in a chilled bottle of iced tea make you think that its gone off or do you prefer it to the clear sterility of the different brand next to it. The […]

THE University of the North on Wednesday vehemently denied reports that students held weekend strip shows on campus. Student Representative Council (SRC) president Nation Mthenjane said no one had ever stripped on campus. He said posters had been put up advertising a strip show, but that it was a gimmick to advertise a student bash. […]

The US and its coalition against terrorism is moving into position near Afghanistan Mail & Guardian reporters By air and sea, the United States and Britain were building up their military presence on Thursday in the Gulf and hundreds of thousands of Afghans rushed to their borders to find they had been almost completely sealed […]

A tense lull settled over the world this week as the United States deliberated its response to the terror attacks on New York and Washington. Military retaliation seemed inevitable the only questions were how, when and where. The US reaction could critically shape the lives of everyone on the planet. As influential voices have warned, […]

Ngwako Modjadji Ever wondered how the thousands of parts needed to assemble a car become available at the right time and at the right place? It’s a matter of logistics. If this kind of puzzle appeals to you and you haven’t yet decided what you want to do after school the University of Stellenbosch could […]

RUGBY Andy Capostagno It is safe to assume that Butch James will never forget the 2001 rugby season. As the fulcrum of a rejuvenated Sharks team he got to play in the Super 12 final. A month later he played his first Test match and 10 days after that outing against France he received his […]

Comment Charlotte Raven Most people in the world had more than one response to what happened to the United States last week. I think it is safe to say that apart from three or four Palestinians, everyone is sad to see so many of their fellow humans killed in such horrendous circumstances. That goes for […]

Johannesburg | Friday SOUTH Africa’s black and white chambers of commerce formally merged on Thursday despite strong reservations from the black and Afrikaner business communities. The National African Chamber of Commerce (Nafcoc) and the South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) said in a statement that they had formed a transitional body called the South African […]

A common purpose has brought the three main union federations to talks of a merger Glenda Daniels Mounting opposition to privatisation has drawn the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the National Council of Trade Unions closer together, and unity will be on the agenda in talks between two largest labour federations this week. […]

Jaspreet Kindra South African Communist Party members suspect a political motive in the theft of confidential documents dealing with the tripartite alliance and Inkatha Freedom Party from the party’s Durban offices at the weekend. Cash and computers were also stolen in the break-in, which coincided with an SACP central committee meeting at which the party’s […]

Marianne Merten The Lesotho high commission is intervening to protect one of its citizens on Robben Island after two staffers found guilty of sexually harassing her were not dismissed. An internal disciplinary hearing verdict yet to be ratified by Robben Island management was “suspended dismissal” for the driver and guide on condition they are not […]

Barry Streek The terror attacks in the United States have strengthened the case for controversial provisions in draft e-commerce legislation approved by the South African Cabinet this week. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill contains “Big Brother” provisions empowering the authorities to open cybermail messages and place controls over the use of encrypted services. The […]

BRENDAN BOYLE, Cape Town | Friday A COALITION of church, labour and civic groups challenged President Thabo Mbeki and his government on Thursday to acknowledge the scale of the HIV/Aids epidemic ravaging South Africa. “No one in our country can afford to deny the terrible extent of this epidemic,” the group said in a statement […]

Glenda Daniels Unionists voiced frustration, and warned of heightened tensions in the tripartite alliance, after it emerged this week that the 18-a-side tripartite alliance summit has been delayed yet again. The meeting, designed to address the rift over privatisation and macroeconomic policy between the ruling African National Congress on the one hand, and the Congress […]

Ntuthuko Maphumulo Ajax Cape Town, Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns have one thing in common: they have all failed to stamp their authority on this year’s continental competitions. The three teams began their campaigns dismally and will be hoping to win this weekend to salvage some pride. South Africa’s record in African cup competitions is poor, […]

Bongani Majola Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Ronnie Kasrils South Africa’s former deputy defence minister this week instituted defamation action against four newspapers for their coverage of the arms deal. The papers are Business Day, Pretoria News Weekend, Saturday Argus and Sunday Tribune. Kasrils claims the newspapers defamed him by publishing articles stating that […]

Stuart Millar The attacks on New York and Washington will force organisations to rethink their computer security procedures, experts predicted. Society’s growing reliance on computers and communication technology makes it more vulnerable if systems are wiped out. But according to @stake, the world’s biggest independent security consultancy, the majority of organisations do not have adequate […]

Cape Town | Friday POLICE fired stun grenades on Thursday at some 350 squatters south of Cape Town, after they tried to invade municipal land, a policeman said. Captain Jacques Wiese said residents of the Mandela Park squatter camp in Hout Bay, some “armed with spades and pangas” tore down a municipal fence and moved […]