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. […]
Shirley Kemp Traditionally the retail sector has reacted strongly to changes in the interest rate. Driven by a combination of factors, in the past when interest rates went up, retail shares fell and when interest rates came down, retail came back into favour. The declines in the prime interest rate after its high of 25,5% […]
CD of the week Herbert:Bodily Functions Matthew Krouse Matthew Herbert’s genius is of a low key. As a bunch of love songs, Bodily Functions (Studio K7) talks for everyone. It says all the things one would want to say to one’s crush, the things one is too shy to articulate. Beneath its quiet and melodic […]
Harry Viljoen and his henchmen need to do a thorough rethink of South African rugby comment Neil Sonnekus Back in the Sixties a rand could buy you a pound and a player like flyhalf Keith Oxlee was a legend. He was part of the Springbok rugby team, whose two main characteristics were that they had […]
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 […]
Worm’s Eye view Steven Friedman Is it possible that our representative democracy will one day allow people to be represented? The possibility was raised by an unexpected remark from President Thabo Mbeki in Parliament a few weeks ago. In response to a question, he suggested that the current system for choosing MPs and provincial legislators […]
SOCCER Ntuthuko Maphumulo The sought-after kudu-horn trophy will be at stake in the Vodacom Challenge this weekend in Durban. The final will be between defending champions Kaizer Chiefs and Asante Kotoko, who have twice been African champions and have won a record 19 Ghanaian championships. The war of words began this week. Chiefs owner Kaizer […]
Christina Scott It’s money. No, it’s art. Wait it’s pint-sized propaganda! And you used to think a postage stamp was just something that made envelopes fly to their destination, didn’t you? Welcome to Washington’s latest exhibition of ephemera: Stamp Collecting Imaging South Africa. Here every picture tells more than one story. Appropriately enough, 8000 stamps […]
A 14-year-old was told her alleged rapists would go free because she drank a can of cider one of the men gave her Charlene Smith The Welkom Magistrate’s Court is ignoring legislation that states alleged child rapists should be denied bail because “lots of these children are liars, some of them make up stories, drink […]
Suzan Chala The first and one of the largest expeditions of motorised adventure travel around the African continent is to start in September this year. It will promote Africa as a desirable tourist destination. Specialised 6×6 and 4×4 vehicles and motorcycles will travel through the continent’s bushes, forests, deserts and swamps. The 25-member crew is […]
Ngwako Modjadji The Balobedu tribe in the Nothern Province is confident that whoever becomes the next rain queen will have the supernatural powers needed to bring rain. Although the Modjadji royal council has not yet appointed an heir to the throne, one thing is certain it will be a woman. The Balobedu clan suffered a […]
BOARDROoM TALK Alec Hogg One of Moneyweb’s most popular market commentators, Wayne McCurrie, says he is fortunate to have worked in the investment markets during the past couple of years. RMB Asset Management’s chief strategist reckons the intense stress that came along with the turbulence was a small price to pay for lessons others might […]
Barry Streek The cooperative movement in South Africa, which collectively commands assets worth millions of rands, is to reorganise itself into national and provincial forums to mobilise resources and lobby for support and changes in the laws affecting the sector, including the possible appointment of a minister of cooperatives. The decision to promote cooperatives was […]
The provincial finance department has tried to tighten its controls after millions disappeared from its coffers Evidence wa ka Ngobeni Eastern Cape police have uncovered alleged theft of R63-million from the province’s service delivery kitty and 11 top officials have appeared in court on charges of corruption. The officials, some of them senior government accountants, […]
James Reynard Currently touring South Africa, Hog Hoggidy Hog, a punk/ ska/metal posse, has recently released an album that twists through a humorous labyrinth of melodic and unpredictable punk/ ska/metal arrangements a la Sepultura, Green Day and Madness. The album, Driving Over Miss Davie, includes an inter-active multimedia presentation designed by the band’s axeman Amos […]
Tony Leon has transformed the official opposition into a force to be reckoned with. He spoke to Howard Barrell and Sipho Seepe about transformation, President Thabo Mbeki and giving the government a run for its money Seepe: The challenge that faces South Africa is social transformation. The Constitution mentions three aspects. One is economic inequalities. […]
Chris Dunton as the crow flies by Veronique Tadjo (Heinemann: African Writers Series) ‘I would have loved to write one of those serene stories with a beginning and an end. But as you know only too well, it is never like that.” Working by collage, poet and novelist Veronique Tadjo assembles her text from 90 […]
RUGBY Andy Capostagno What has happened to the rugby calendar? A sequence of three Test matches on successive Saturdays has just been concluded. During that time the only concession to provincial rugby was the Sail Running Rugby Festival in Port Elizabeth a couple of weeks ago. This Friday the Currie Cup begins, some five weeks […]
While billions are spent on arms and luxury vehicles by people in power, the impoverished still wait for land Marianne Merten and Evidence wa ka Ngobeni In the face of increasing land hunger among South Africa’s poor, the government has appealed for patience while pursuing strong-arm tactics against those who illegally invade land. Many of […]
But Junichiro Koizumi’s love affair with the public may well end in tears Justin McCurry in Osaka Election candidates hoping to boost their appeal queue up to be photographed with him. An elderly woman threatens to kill herself unless she is granted a brief audience. Just about everyone wants a piece of Junichiro Koizumi. The […]
AMERICAN NOTES Tim Wood The US economy is like a Formula 1 grand prix with many spectators attending only in the hope of seeing accidents. They’ve been given a spectacular pile-up after the technology bubble popped and yet they’re desperate for more; something fatal. The morbid obsession to lay the United States low rises and […]
Some African giants are struggling to qualify for next year’s soccer World Cup Ntuthuko Maphumulo Bafana Bafana’s 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso in Ougadougou last weekend might not have been stylish, but it was mission accomplished as South Africa joined Cameroon in qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Japan and Korea. In 1998 Phil […]