James Hall Nothing much disturbs the placid facade of Swaziland, but the murderous escapades of David Mahlanga (45) have shaken assumptions about the kingdom. Mahlanga, who may be responsible for at least 34 deaths, has triggered anxiety because of what his crimes represent a realisation that Swazis can no longer presume they are safe. “Women […]
David Macfarlane and Glenda Daniels A massive drive to address the endemic poverty, chronic unemployment, dire skills shortage and shockingly poor education levels in South Africa received an urgent kickstart from the education and labour ministries last week. The government has taken almost seven years to come up with its integrated human resources development strategy. […]
Marianne Merten Cape Flats chess champion Kenny Willenberg (16) has qualified for the African under-21 champion in Nigeria later this year after winning the prestigious domestic closed championships he almost missed out on. Growing up in the gang-ridden, high-crime area of Belhar on the Cape Flats, Kenny and his younger brother Craig (14) have beaten […]
Three Gauteng readers can each win the following for the Play Energy Drink Ministry of Sound World Tour, touching down at Vodaworld in Midrand on May 5 with Fragma, Storm, Funkstar de Luxe, the Warp Brothers and many more: n One Play Energy Drink six-pack n One Play Energy Drink cap n One Play Energy […]
Bruce Whitfield Marinus Daling has sold off a third tranche of Sanlam shares in six months, taking to almost R4-million the amount of money he’s raised via share options since November last year. This time the Sanlam chair sold 143 087 shares at R9,38, netting R1,34-million. On November 8 last year he sold 61000 shares […]
Tim Wood American Notes AngloGold CEO Bobby Godsell made pointed remarks about the industry schism caused by gold hedging this week: “There are theological hedgers and theological anti-hedgers. We find ourselves in the middle. We are simply using it as a business instrument, which has served our shareholders pretty well.” At risk of oversimplification, hedging […]
Khadija Magardie An influential United States-based cancer research association has bolstered the already serious charges of scientific misconduct against disgraced oncologist Dr Werner Bezwoda. According to the American Society for Clinical Oncology (Asco), the former University of the Witwatersrand professor falsified the results of more clinical trials for breast cancer treatment than initially thought. The […]
Andy Capostagno rugby Parochial considerations notwithstanding, for those who cherish the endless complexities that league tables throw up, the climax to this year’s Super 12 is the stuff that dreams are made of. Here we are, three weeks away from the semifinals and any four out of 10 teams can still qualify. Only the Blues […]
Marianne Merten South African companies are exploring a new approach to corporate social responsibility through employee-centred initiatives such as matching staff donations to charities made via the payroll. Much of the pressure to move away from a straight “cheque book approach” has come in the wake of increasing global corpworks. Over the past 15 years […]
Matthew Krouse theatre Moments of tedium caused by a slightly overladen script barely detract from the wholesale intrigue of The Great Outdoors. In his most recent play, first performed at the National Arts Festival last year, Neil McCarthy treats the day-to-day issues of white South Africa with playful disdain. Like the people it depicts, The […]
James Hall Swaziland’s Office of Public Prosecutions has announced a crackdown on diviners and traditional doctors who are capitalising on the fears of defendants in court cases to peddle “protection” that will win favourable judicial rulings. “Traditional healers play an important role in the health of people in Swaziland and in my country,” says Director […]
Stephen Gray review OFTHEWEEK If this review is a review, then it is about a play about a play. The strategy is for me to tease you, even to bait you. I’ll even go as far as telling you how I deplore your trust, while nonetheless taking your time and money for my valiant effort. […]
Julia Beffon CD OFTHEWEEK When Rod Stewart made Atlantic Crossing in the mid-Seventies he left Britain and the Small Faces behind and the music critics, too. Hollywood turned Rod the Mod into more than a tax exile. He became a musical outcast, wasting his gravelly, soulful voice on disco drivel that reached its nadir with […]
Robert Kirby CHANNELVISION Blessed are the meek and mild for they shall inherit the presidential television interview. Thabo Mbeki must have been well pleased e.tv sent along a pair of such vapid bojos with a set of such predictable questions. San Reddy and Debora Patta were a sort of clown duo doing a routine as […]
Publishing in South Africa suffers a number of vicissitudes. In a new book, publishers Nicholas Combrinck and Maggie Davey engage in a dialogue on the subject Combrinck: Rarely do trade publishers [publishers for a general retail market, as opposed to educational publishers and so forth] make a serious return on their publishing, and rarely in […]
Deon Potgieter boxing Two of South Africa’s most talented boxers come in from the cold this weekend. Following a 19-month absence from the ring, former two-time welterweight world champion Peter “the Destroyer” Malinga headlines a box-and-dine tournament at the Kopanong hotel in Benoni on Saturday. Malinga was stripped of his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight […]
Kuseni Dlamini, Greg Mills and Neuma Grobbelaar a second look Robert Mugabe confirmed last week, during Zimbabwe’s 21st birthday celebrations, what many have long presumed: that he intends standing in the 2002 presidential election. This and Zimbabwe’s deteriorating economic and political circumstances raise concerns about the policies pursued by South Africa and the options Pretoria […]
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni A senior member of the Zulu royal family and KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Welfare, Prince Gideon Zulu, has been accused of using a truck belonging to a centre for the handicapped for his personal business. Employees at the Osizweni Handicraft Centre in Newcastle claim Zulu has been ordering his provincial staff to […]
Providing anti-retroviral drugs and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV are not always feasible with South Africa’s health-care infrastructure David McCoy Now that we’ve celebrated a victory over multi- national pharmaceutical companies for access to cheaper medicines, what are we going to do about preventing mother-to-child transmission of Aids and access to anti-retroviral drugs? While activist […]
Khadija Magardie crossfire ‘Invisible politicians aren’t of much use to anyone.” Aptly said, by one of literature’s most acerbic characters, Jimmy Porter. Of course, the anti-hero of John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger was musing about the talents of his aspirant politician brother-in-law and had not met the likes of South Africa’s own wonder, […]
At schools all across South Africa members of the Youth Enterprise Society are gaining the necessary business savvy to become entrepreneurs Roshila Pillay Kutlwano Phokojoe crochets tops, bags, Rasta hats and anything else customers need, by order. Last year she made more than R1?000, which she used to contribute towards her school fees, share household […]
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni The Gauteng Department of Housing is going ahead with a development project despite attempts by environmental groups to block the low-cost housing scheme on the grounds that it poses a threat to a rare butterfly species. The Heidelberg Town Council’s low-cost housing project, which will house more than 14 000 people, […]
Matthew Krouse THE UNFOLDING MAN: THE LIFE AND ART OF DAN RAKGOATHE by Donv Langhan (David Philip) ONDAMBO AFRICAN ART FORUM edited by Rolf Cusemann-Brockmann, Christoph Ludszuweit and Hans-Joachim Bogatzke (Gamsberg Macmillan) Dan Rakgoathe isn’t a great poet. But then it’s not his poetry that he’s famous for. If he is known, it’s for his […]
AT least 2.5 million people have died since August 1998 as a result of civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to preliminary results of a study to be released early next week. The study by the International Rescue Committee, a New-York based refugee relief organisation, examined five provinces in the eastern part […]
Authorities have been withholding evidence that schoolchildren have been fed sandwiches that could kill them, reports Khadija Magardie In a shock move raising serious ethical questions, health authorities in at least two of the country’s nine provinces have been sitting silently on information pointing to the long-term poisoning of thousands of indigent South African schoolchildren. […]
Paul Kirk At least two of KwaZulu-Natal’s most notorious prison bosses, who are under investigation for dozens of murders and organised crime activities, could have been fired long ago if the Department of Correctional Services had simply followed its own rules prohibiting prisons officials from holding two jobs. Both Russel Ngubo and his friend Thami […]
A second-place finish in Spain last weekend proved Juan Pablo Montoya has the cold-eyed confidence to trouble Michael Schumacher Richard Williams When he climbed from his broken car at Interlagos in Brazil last month, Juan Pablo Montoya displayed no outward sign of emotion. No tantrum. No tears. No march back to the pits to confront […]
Palesa Motanyane food Not so long ago I could buy croissants at the local bakery, a boulangerie in a village in the south of France. Back home in Johannesburg I’ve become a regular patron of establishments where I’m guaranteed to find delicious pastries that originate in a country famous for its culinary exports. Croissants have […]
Sipho Seepe no blows barred It would be tempting to dismiss outright the allegations against the three leading businessmen, Cyril Ramaphosa, Matthews Phosa and Tokyo Sexwale to oust President Thabo Mbeki from office as preposterous. Indeed, many organisations including the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the South African Communist Party and some members of […]
Adam Welz Celebrate South Africa is a high-profile festival of music, dance, film, theatre, technology, carnival and craft taking place in London. Most of the main events are still to come and the highlights include: l A film festival at the National Film Theatre, from May 4 to 31, featuring a broad range of South […]
Glenda Daniels Black empowerment has fared dismally in the past year, but its prospects could improve in 18 months’ time if certain conditions are met, according to a report released by BusinessMap this week. Deals have dropped dramatically, says the report, Empowerment 2001, and most sectors have performed abysmally. Reported new investments in established black-controlled […]
Stewart Bailey The numbers were in line with expectations, but the real story at AngloGold’s results presentation earlier this week for the March quarter was the company’s new look. For the first time, Anglo’s tried-and-tested troika of CEO Bobby Godsell, marketing director Kelvin Williams and financial director Jonathan Best was joined at the main table […]