Turn on, tune in, feel nothing. Has pop culture finally eaten itself? Charles Shaar Murray reports ‘Bloodbath,” whispers the voice on the phone from Manhattan. “It’s a killing field out there. And they’re dropping like flies.” Not junkies, crackheads, gangstas in the projects; not Aids sufferers; not even Ethiopian immigrants who’ve fallen foul of the […]
Ngwako Modjadji and Nawaal Deane Confusion reigns among squatters in Bredel, Kempton Park, with many so-called “land invaders” uncertain of what action to take. Most of the squatters have come in search of “promised land” without a clear idea of who owns it, but determined not to be evicted. Tensions are high and many promise […]
The National Arts Festival is taking place amid uncertainty, but major works show cultural maturity Thebe Mabanga The 27th edition of the Standard Bank National Arts Festival survived its tacky motif and lived to fight another year. The image used to promote the festival in print adverts, that of Ellis Person and Bheki Mkhwane clad […]
The American has overcome testicular cancer to bid for a third consecutive crown Martin Gillingham Robert Hunter is barely a household name in his own household. But on Saturday in Dunkirk, as he rolls up the start ramp for the 8,2km prologue of this year’s Tour de France, he will do so as the first […]
Barry Streek The move towards the payment of a monthly R100 basic income grant gained momentum this week when 12 non-government and religious organisations handed over a memorandum to Vivienne Taylor, the chairperson of the Department of Social Development committee investigating the issue. The principle of a basic income was endorsed in a government White […]
More arms officials admit to getting discounted cars Evidence wa ka Ngobeni Ron Haywood, the head of Armscor and one of the most influential players in the arms deal, is the latest senior figure to appear on the “Yengeni” list senior politicians and civil servants who got discounts on luxury cars from DaimlerChrysler South Africa […]
A SECOND LOOK Howard Barrell Members of Thabo Mbeki’s Cabinet were in respectable company at Sun City last weekend. I refer not to the editors with whom they spent the better part of two days but, instead, to those with whom they shared a common opinion about the media. It was apparent at the outset […]
BODY LANGUAGE Merle Colborne The difference between men and women is all in the way they approach things. A man will generally approach a thing (other than a woman or an intersection) with great reluctance, very slowly. A woman’s approach is swifter. She’ll look at the situation, access what needs to be done and then […]
David Macfarlane Divisions and infighting in the NGO sector have deepened with the recent break-up of the Non-Profit Partnership (NPP), which was established only three years ago to strengthen non-profit organisations. And the World Conference Against Racism, to be held in August in Durban, has been touched by the fallout. Mismanagement, weak leadership and internal […]
Jessica Farley Right next to the Kyalami Equestrian Centre, on Dahlia Road, lies a sanctuary far from the madness of modern-day technology. Within these walls lives a centuries-old tradition. The performing Lipizzaners of South Africa are housed here. Every Sunday morning at 11am these dancing white horses are geared up in their traditional tack and […]
Belinda Anderson Of the top 10 fallers on the JSE Securities Exchange in the second quarter this year, three have gone bust and most of the other seven are either restructuring or working on a turnaround. Regal Treasury Bank went from hero to zero in a matter of weeks. Although curator Tim Store has been […]
The five best performers on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in the second quarter of the year were all relatively small cap stocks Shirley Kemp Major price moves in the June quarter (April to June) illustrate that companies with relatively small market values are the riskiest investments. Figures show that investors with large enough exposure either […]
Legislation drafted in January gives authorities the means to crack down on organised crime Judith February A new Bill to combat money laundering, the Financial Intelligence Centre Bill, is a subject of deliberations in the portfolio committees of finance, justice and constitutional development. The Bill seeks to address administrative and procedural defaults in the The […]
Wimbledon’s newest star has South African connections Neal Collins Somewhere beneath the enveloping Henmania of Brit-biased Wimbledon this week, a star was born. And he holds a South African passport. Actually, Roger Federer was born on August 8 1981, but in tennis, stardom takes a while to gestate, especially in that exclusive area of London […]
Congress Mahlangu The ownership of land or property by foreigners comes into the spotlight as the government prepares policy on the issue as part of the land redistribution programme. This follows a meeting between Director General of the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs Dr Gilingwe Mayende and his home affairs counterpart, Billy Masetlha. New […]
The article about Henrietta Mqokomisa and her removal from Alexandra to Diepsloot was one person’s story analysis Chris McGreal The Gauteng Department of Housing spokesperson, Dumisani Zulu, accuses me of “blatant disregard” for good journalism for allegedly putting one side of the story in the account of the destruction of Henrietta Mqokomisa’s home in Alexandra […]
Zambia was host to a crowd of sun worshippers gathered for a celebration of shallow hedonism Joel Pollak As the last slivers of sunlight disappeared behind the dark silhouette of the moon, an ecstatic roar went up from the motley crowd of revellers, more than 7000 strong, who had gathered from around the world on […]
CRICKET Mike Selvey At some time during the last week in August either Steve Waugh or, less likely, Nasser Hussain, will stand on the balcony at the Oval and raise the Ashes urn in measured triumph. The crowd spread out on the grass below will strain to catch a glimpse of one of the most […]
Nawaal Deane Two Mpumalanga farm workers, who were allegedly assaulted by members of a commando unit in 1996, are suing the Minister of Defence, Mosiuoa Lekota, for almost R2-million. One of them was blinded in the alleged assault. Three white farmers belonging to the Wakkerstroom Commando, a civilian army unit, allegedly assaulted the two. The […]
Before Night Falls celebrates a rebel Cuban writer. Gaby Wood looks at the man behind the film In 1970, two novelists shared a literary prize. Gabriel Garca Mrquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and Hallucinations by Reinaldo Arenas won joint first prize for best foreign novel published in France. The first of these people, a […]
Khadija Magardie The Department of Health has acknowledged that schoolchildren in at least four provinces have been exposed to potentially lethal peanut butter by the government’s school feeding scheme, and some suppliers have been prosecuted. These admissions come nearly two months after the Mail & Guardian revealed that the Eastern Cape Department of Health was […]
whipping boy The merit-rating system has thrown handicaps like the Durban July wide open and any pundit who expresses confidence about the outcome of this year’s premier event is talking through his hat. So closely is the field handicapped that just about every runner has some sort of chance. Ability over the 2 200m distance, […]
Fiona Macleod The Kruger National Park had an operating profit of more than R10-million last year and is performing better than ever before, says its director, David Mabunda. Mabunda released the financial results of the country’s premier game reserve over the past five years to the Mail & Guardian this week to counter hysteria about […]
Stephen Gray Malagasy writer Michle Rakotoson visited South Africa for the Time of the Writer Festival in Durban. She has written plays for her own theatre troupe, a novel and Dadab et Autres Nouvelles (1984), a collection of autobiographical and erotic pieces. You were representing Malagasy literature at the festival in Durban. Yes, and I […]
Belinda Anderson Coronation fund manager Walter Aylett was one of the lucky or wise investors to reduce his holding of Dimension Data (DiData) shares in the first few months of this year. As Liberty Asset Management’s Imtiaz Ahmed said on Tuesday: “Anybody that’s got one share in DiData has got one share too many.” And […]
The president should concentrate less on what the media has to say, writes Anthony Holiday In the ancient Greek myth the beautiful youth, Narcissus, stares fascinated at his image reflected in a deep pool of water, until he tumbles in and drowns. It would, perhaps, be an exaggeration to allege that President Thabo Mbeki is […]
South African and African nine-ball champion Dino Nair “Dino-mite” to his friends will compete against 127 of the world’s best pool players for $300 000 in Cardiff later this month at the world nine-ball championships, writes Ntuthuko Maphumulo. Nair said: “I intend to win in Wales as it will be my first nine-ball international tournament […]
Fiona Macleod’s article entitled “Zulus take up spears for wildlife” (June 22 to 28) is a welcome look at some of the issues surrounding the growing involvement of rural people in wildlife conservation and tourism. The article contains a basic flaw, along with omissions and inaccuracies that need to be noted. It argues that the […]
Agnes Phiri (24) dreams of becoming an Olympic champion in showjumping, writes Ntuthuko Maphumulo. She has made the leap into the professional ranks of the elite sport thanks to a sponsorship that will allow her to focus full-time on riding. Phiri’s love for horses began after she moved from Alexandra township to live with her […]
channel vision Robert Kirby With the Wimbledon finals upon us it is interesting to reflect on what might be called the hidden statistics of professional tennis. Two Dutch academics from Tilburg University have been doing this, basing their results on the analysis of some phenomenal number of points played at Wimbledon 88 883, to be […]
A challenge for the medical profession over Mhlongo’s stance on Aids crossfire Janet Giddy Professor Sam Mhlongo, Aids dissident, is surprised that he is the only doctor among 30 000 South African doctors who questions the belief that HIV causes Aids or that Aids exists. His explanation is that he had the benefit of a […]
As more recipients of luxury cars from arms contractors are being exposed, a corruption-busting ANC MP writes about his experience on Parliament’s public accounts committee comment Andrew Feinstein In late 1998 the South African government concluded the procurement of armaments from a variety of European arms manufacturers to the value of just more than R30-billion. […]