General

By Roger Diamond When will we ever know enough? If the scientists are to be believed, never. Politicians love this — it means real action and real change can be forever delayed on the grounds of not really being actually, totally, quite utterly certain! So we can just plop a few million into research and […]

Can anyone tell me what is happening at the Commonwealth Games, apart from the obvious chaos away from the actual sports? I certainly wouldn’t, because in reality I don’t care. While there might be those who say the Commonwealth Games have a place in the international sporting calendar, I firmly belong in the camp that […]

Since my arrival in Melbourne, I have spent much time trying to figure out what makes this island continent and the people who live here tick. It should be said that what follows is merely my opinion, so after you read this and you have something to add, please do so. Australia itself shares certain […]

The short answer to the question, why the story of Spartacus has fascinated people for centuries, is that it is a story of the endless quest for freedom on the part of humankind. Why endless, one may object — has history not “ended’, normatively speaking, when liberal, capitalist democracy appeared to triumph conclusively at the […]

My disdain (that borders on a hatred) of smokers has nothing to do with my desire for a nanny state or for social controls to stop smokers from smoking. I really do not mind if people wish to smoke and harm themselves, but the problem is that smokers do not just harm or affect themselves. […]

Do you want to hear something funny? The big news to have hit rugby over the past few weeks hasn’t been Peter de Villiers-motivated, or related to anything on the field. No, this honour belongs to Maria Ramos and Absa. Ever since they sent that fabled SMS to Oregan Hoskins, they have been receiving a […]

There’s something heartwarming about the thing made over time with tenderness and given to a loved one. Hallmark cards have nothing on a child’s personal creation made with bright crayons for his mom. Nor do tweets and SMSs, filled with “mwah” and gratuitous images of flowers. Imagine coming home with a crown of flowers for […]

By Isobel Frye Johannesburg is dry and parched, the red earth waits for rejuvenation and our memories turn to the brilliance of purple jacaranda flowers to lift our souls and fill us with wonder and quiet moments of joy. In the meantime, we continue to plod on in our daily lives. We open our papers […]

By Langa Sigodi From the moment that Pieter de Villiers was announced as Springbok coach in 2008, it was evident that win or lose, his tenure would be remembered for one thing, his race. After a dismal Tri-Nations, the calls have been loud for him to get the axe. After his performance review, he has […]

The views in this article have been expressed in the author’s private capacity The debacle surrounding India’s competency to host the Commonwealth Games begs two “tricky” questions. Firstly, is there still a place in today’s world for the Commonwealth? And secondly, what was India thinking bidding for the Games? My views on each follow. Is […]

The release of Cricket South Africa’s various squads last week showed where the selectors see “the future”. Rusty Theron, who should’ve already made his debut for the Proteas, was the big winner in the T20 squads while Loots Bosman should count himself lucky considering his very sketchy international record. The big calls were made with […]

It’s 2010. Eighteen years after South Africa’s re-introduction to international sports and the formal unification of sporting codes in the country. A sponsor writes to the organisation responsible for running the game it has been associated with for a quarter of a century to express its concerns over the seemingly slow pace of transformation and […]