Sunday Times - Times LIVE

DNA identification fights crime, saves lives

What do a buffalo cow worth R17-million and a snatched handful of prized ostrich feathers have in common?

TV anchor Vuyo Mbuli collapses at rugby game

Morning Live anchor Vuyo Mbuli collapsed at a rugby match in Bloemfontein last night of a suspected heart attack.

Gupta scandal: ANC protects Zuma

ANC leaders have formed a protective shield around President Jacob Zuma ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary debate on Guptagate.

Lecturer jailed for calling Mugabe a 'donkey'

A lecturer at a government university in Zimbabwe had been jailed for three months for labelling President Robert Mugabe "a rotten old donkey", lawyers said.

Axed reverend takes up lesbian rights

Reverend Ecclesia de Lange, 43, marched yesterday for the right of lesbians to be allowed to live without fear.

World's laziest postman

A village postman on the Italian island of Sardinia was too "lazy" to deliver post in the morning and instead hoarded some 400kg of it in his home, local residents and the police said.

Rihanna sues UK chain for selling her image

Rihanna is suing the British fashion chain Topshop for allegedly selling T-shirts featuring her image without her permission.

From wild rapper to mellow Rastaman

Pot-smoking rapper Snoop Dogg is not dead.

Cannes gets a taste of upcoming Mandela film

The first poster of the upcoming film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, starring Idris Elba, was unveiled this week at the Cannes film festival.

Short list salutes writers 'committed' to fuelling debate

South African writers of non-fiction are fuelling debate and challenging readers to think creatively about life.

Beyoncé bummed out by new baby rumours

Superstar Beyoncé is rumoured to be expecting her second child, but the singer has lashed out at "low-life people" who have nothing better to do than gossip about her.

Pall of gang violence blights Lentegeur

Lentegeuer means "spring scent" in Afrikaans, but these days the smell of death hangs in the air of this tiny suburb in the heart of the Cape Flats.

One in six is without a job

Unemployment is a major issue in Eldorado Park with 10907 people - out of a population of 65698 - surveyed in the latest census saying they have no jobs.

Relief in sight for fee-paying schools

Improved public school funding will bring much-needed relief for parents of children who attend South Africa's 4500 fee-paying schools.

Zille acts against Malema, ANCYL

Julius Malema's controversial public chirps have returned to haunt the ANC Youth League.

Gays lay charge against prison head

A gay couple accused of "being intimate" in a communal prison cell has laid a criminal charge against the head of the prison where they are being held, because they are now being kept apart.

Octogenarian climbers in Everest duel

Two octogenarian mountaineers are making separate attempts to conquer Everest and break the world record for the oldest successful ascent.

Toronto Mayor Ford attends a gay rights flag raising event at Toronto City Hall

Crack video is fake, says Toronto mayor

A video purportedly of Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack has caused an uproar in Canada. Ford has called the allegations "ridiculous". The video has not been released publicly and there is no way to verify whether it is authentic. Reports by gossip website Gawker and the Toronto Star said it was taken by a man who claimed he had sold crack to Ford.

Office pools vie for $600m jackpot

It is the second-largest world jackpot of all time - $600-million (R5.6-billion). And in workplaces across the US, people are inviting colleagues to chip in $2 for a lottery ticket and a shared dream.

Keep watch, if you will, from shelf to till

I am amazed at how few consumers, including myself, neglect to check prices when they are rung up at the till.

FNB sends client 's life into a tailspin

No matter how much money you have in the bank, it's always awkward having your card rejected at the till.

Consumer forum: 19 May 2013

Getting the picture

In Brief

Five arrests after deadly bombing

My medical choice

Taking Control Angelina Jolie reveals why she decided to go public with her decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy

A star's giant leap for womankind

If this was Angelina Jolie's master plan to divert attention from her upper thigh, which she flashed to worldwide acclaim last year at the Oscars, it was an extraordinarily dramatic one. This week, in an article for the New York Times, Jolie revealed that, to avoid developing breast cancer, she had undergone a double mastectomy.

Cannes thieves outdo movie plots

A cast of the wealthy and the beautiful, a Riviera setting and $1-million in diamonds snatched from under the noses of the authorities while attention was focused elsewhere ...

Good times roll at farmers' trade show

The economy may be limping along, but it is boom time for farmers if the scenes at this week's Nampo harvest day trade show at Bothaville in the Free State are anything to go by.

Political storm over 'flawed' PE tender

Port Elizabeth has been rocked by a multimillion-rand tender scandal - dubbed "PE's own arms deal" - that has pitted council officials against politicians, who are determined to implement it despite forensic reports suggesting that it is flawed.

Bank takes hard line with networks on sim swap fraud

South Africa's largest bank has challenged cellphone networks to reduce sim swap fraud - or face its wrath.

Millions offered for lowly homes

Pensioner Joyce Whitcher believes she has hit the jackpot - a R2-million offer for her home in a once derided Durban neighbourhood.

Tensions at boiling point between rival unions

Murmurs From Marikana White crosses at the base of a koppie mark the start of a labour crisis that drags on

Perpetuating a vile pattern of violence

Many things have not changed in South Africa since 1994, but there are significant changes in the wake of the Marikana massacre.

Zuma cousin hauled to court over R7m

Days after his lavish wedding, which was attended by President Jacob Zuma, Sibusiso Mzobe this week faced court action to liquidate his business.

SuperBru creator has winning formula

Andrew Wood, the creator and founder of SuperBru, an online sports prediction game, has one goal - to beat his wife, Carrie-Ann.

Meet Stubborn, Rasta and Stumpy

Baboons have long been a problem in the coastal towns of Pringle Bay and Betty's Bay. Only recently, however, have they achieved YouTube celebrity status.

Chanel's sporty look is an all-rounder

German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has introduced cricket kit to a new Chanel collection.

Racism charges after school axes Indian cricketer

A prominent Pietermaritzburg lawyer has served a private school with legal documents demanding that his son be reinstated as captain of the "prestigious" first cricket XI.

'North West cricket too white'

Norman Arendse's recent election as chairman of Cricket South Africa's transformation committee will raise hopes - and fears - of the imminent darkening of the game in South Africa.

Scotland Yard case review renews hope of finding Maddie

The parents of Madeleine McCann have welcomed the news this week that Scotland Yard had identified a number of suspects who might be responsible for their daughter's abduction.

U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul arrives at the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Moscow

Russians expose name of CIA chief in Moscow

Russia's Federal Security Service has disclosed the identity of a man who it says is the CIA station chief in Moscow, in what experts say is a serious breach of intelligence protocol.

French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris

France signs gay marriage bill into law despite protests

French President François Hollande signed a gay marriage and adoption bill into law yesterday, after the Constitutional Council threw out a legal challenge by the right-wing opposition.

The Prince, Picasso and a gambling scandal

It has been billed as one of the most spectacular Picasso exhibitions in history - 150 works, some rarely seen, on display to mark the 40th anniversary of the master's death.

In Brief

Mokoka chooses global runs rather than local contests

Bringing the 'Brown Pimpernel' home from his faraway grave

It is fair to say David Stuurman could look after himself. The swashbuckling Khoi chief escaped twice from Robben Island - walking 700km to the Gamtoos River after his first jailbreak - and defied the dragnet of the British empire for more than a decade.

Home Invasion:A Tale of Two Takeaways

We had just come back from the Saturday evening takeaway run - chicken nuggets and fries from McDonald's; lunchbox combo, no prawns, from Sakura Sushi - and I had pressed the button on the blue remote to Open Sesame the gate. I drove in. The garage door opened. I parked and cut the engine.

Warring unions need a neutral government

Sunday Times Editorial: Marikana is again on a knife edge and, again, South Africa holds its collective breath. The country's struggling platinum sector was plunged into a new crisis this week as three people lost their lives and thousands of Lonmin mineworkers downed tools in an ongoing, brutal turf war between two labour unions.

Glimpse of what we can be

Sunday Times Editorial: The images of Professor Cyril Karabus arriving at the Cape Town International Airport on Friday afternoon to jubilant scenes from family, friends and well-wishers was a heart-warming moment. South Africans from every walk of life turned up to give him a fitting welcome.

'Racial slurs' hide behind attack on the president

Gareth van Onselen's "Business as usual for big chief Zuma" (May 12) is a racist, stereotypical framing of Africans in particular and blacks in general. As articulated by social psychologist Mark Snyder: "In stereotyping, the individual categorises other individuals, usually on the basis of highly visible characteristics such as sex or race; attributes a set of characteristics to all members of that category; and attributes that set of characteristics to any individual member of that category."

Mediocrity takes first place on the podium

Hidden away in an April 2013 South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) plan for the long-term development of hockey is the following sentence describing the desired effect of its programme: "Essentially, winning becomes a by-product, as opposed to the core objective, of a process that is designed to promote the developmental elements/goals, as per key stage."

Berlusconi opens 'bunga bunga' party mansion to TV cameras

Italy has been given its first glimpse inside the villa that is said to have played host to dozens of debauched late-night parties with showgirl strippers and dancers dressed as nuns.

Tchin Tchin to a better memory

Compounds found in a glass of bubbly can stimulate signals in the parts of the brain that control memory and learning, according to researchers at the University of Reading in the UK.

Obama's alma mater grasps the nettle of a racist legacy

As one of the US's most prestigious seats of learning and alma mater of the country's first black president, Columbia University is proud of its ethnic diversity and anti-discrimination policies.

Like it or hate it, but give the NDP a fair chance to succeed

It was the one line in a South African Communist Party document that really jolted one and raised a bit of a laugh.

Learning to click with our tongues

Did you know that in Tswana the word for please is tsweetswee ? It looks beautiful enough written, but you should hear it spoken. It is soft, desirous and utterly irresistible. Well, at least 8% of our population will know it, but the rest of us?

Activism is the way to a prosperous society

A desperate mother wrote a heart-wrenching letter to President Jacob Zuma asking him to intervene and stop the scourge of drugs annihilating the youth of Eldorado Park.

So Many Questions: Peter Marais

Western Cape political veteran Peter Marais is back in the news with a movement to fight for the rights of coloured people. Chris Barron asked him...

The banknotes are dirty -- and so are the unwelcome 'zhing-zhong'

The heart of Robert Mugabe's darkness beats in a bright bubble of denial in which strangers say hello, ask how you are, wait for an answer and assure you that they are also fine. Except if you are Chinese. Then they look through you, wishing you were not there.

READERS VIEWS: ANC caucus protocol aimed at strengthening parliament

The Sunday Times report, "Please don't embarrass ministers, MPs told" (May 5), alleging that ANC whips have been instructed to "go easy on cabinet ministers" and not ask "embarrassing questions" when conducting parliamentary oversight, is an arrant misrepresentation of the ANC parliamentary caucus's protocol for good practice and conduct.

Hogarth 19 May 2013

Getting high in Swaziland on a broomstick and a prayer

Mampara of the week: Siyabonga Cwele

It is perhaps a good thing that President Jacob Zuma changed the name of the intelligence ministry immediately after coming into office. There is clearly nothing intelligent about the man he appointed to be in charge of our spy services.

Obituary: Keith Anderson: Top trapeze artist and selfless teacher

1937-2013: Keith Anderson, who has died in Cape Town at the age of 75, was a self-taught trapeze artist who turned rough youths from broken homes in one of Cape Town's toughest working-class suburbs into some of the most accomplished "high-flyers" in the world.

Obituary: Jorge Videla: Argentine dictator who waged a seven-year 'dirty war'

1925-2013: Jorge Videla, the former Argentinian dictator, who has died aged 87, waged a merciless seven-year "dirty war" against left-wing guerrillas that is thought to have claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Goldenballs Beckham bends it for the last time as he bows out

At the Top: Midfielder believes now is the right time to finish his long career

Chiefs are in charge

ChampionsAmakhosi stumbled over the finish line, but the job was done in the first two-thirds of the season when challengers were left eating dust, writes Marc Strydom in Mbombela

Serena four-warning

Serena Williams is one victory away from winning her fourth consecutive title this year - with the French Open only one week away.

Carragher: professional to the end of his career

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits there is no way Jamie Carragher will bow out quietly when he plays his final game before retirement against QPR today.

Legendary Ferguson sings his swansong

English football will witness the end of an era today when Alex Ferguson takes charge of Manchester United for the 1500th and final time in their last game of the season at West Bromwich Albion.

Borussia Dortmund Goetze is pictured with nose bleed after Champions League semi-final first leg soccer match against Real Madrid in Dortmund

Goetze wants European trophy as farewell present for Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund star Mario Goetze says his dream for Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley is to help his side beat Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich - the club he will join in July.

Massive legal bill an athletics hot potato

WHO'LL PAY?: Aftermath of infighting between athletics bosses may prove a costly exercise

Seamless change as Domingo moves in

Do some players look down on you because you haven't played at a high level?

Gymnasts flip over not getting paid

Impoverished gymnastic hopefuls are still waiting for an R18000 payment from government - six months after they performed at the SA Sports Awards.

Australia's Warner plays a shot off the bowling of South Africa's Kleinveldt during the third day of the second test cricket match in Adelaide

Aussies to probe Warner's Twitter rant

Australian batsman David Warner is under investigation after comments on his Twitter account directed against two of the country's leading cricket writers, Cricket Australia said yesterday.

Rugby - 2013 Super Rugby - Stormers v Sharks - Newlands Rugby Stadium

Sharks keep semifinal hopes alive

The Sharks overcame a slow start to beat the Western Force in their Super 15 rugby clash in Perth on Friday night. The Force dominated the early stages and led at the halfway mark but one second-half try to the Sharks was enough for them to win 23-13.

Victory keeps Cape in PSL

A comfortable 3-0 victory over Lamontville Golden Arrows by Ajax Cape Town ensured there will be at least one club from the Mother City in the PSL next season.

Hotshot Mashego reinvents himself

You wouldn't say it when looking at how nomadic his career has been but Katlego Mashego is the man with a Midas touch.

Cheetahs race to the top

A brave defensive effort carried the Cheetahs to their first Super Rugby win over the Sharks in three years and to top of the South African conference for the first time in their history, writes Craig Ray at King's Park, Durban.

Mannequin came to life for Chiefs

A COLOURFUL memory of the 2012-13 season will be of Kaizer Chiefs unveiling Mulomowandau Mathoho's mannequin at the start of the season, before they had signed the central defender.

Only euros prise Bulls away

Pierre Spies had a tough time keeping a straight face at a press conference this week. "What is it about the Bulls," a journalist asked Spies in the build-up to his 100th Super Rugby match, "that makes players stick around for so long.

Modern ideas reclaim the glory

It seems fitting that in the year that Kaizer Motaung was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga by President Jacob Zuma in recognition of his contributions to South African football, Kaizer Chiefs lifted their first PSL title in eight years at Mbombela Stadium yesterday.

Kaizer Chiefs look north

After winning the Absa Premiership following an eight-year drought, South African glamour team Kaizer Chiefs announced they will seek continental glory next year.

Variety is the Spies of life

"It arrives a lot quicker than you think," reflected Pierre Spies this week on the cusp of playing his 100th Super Rugby match against the Highlanders yesterday.

Kyle Cooper (back) of South Africa's Sharks tackles Nick Phipps of Australia's Melbourne Rebels during their Super 15 rugby match in Durban

Rebels' penalty try blows Stormers away

Australia's Rebels celebrated their first victory over South African opposition with a rousing 30-21 Super Rugby win over the Stormers in Melbourne on Friday.

Kings breath fresh air to stale Super Rugby

The Southern Kings' fight for inclusion in Super Rugby was viewed in some quarters as an unfair process, but now that they've spent three months in the top tier, the prospect of their possible relegation from the tournament is similarly inequitable.

Chippa United win a playoff spot

Brent Carelse's second-half double that inspired Chippa to a 2-1 win over AmaZulu wasn't enough for safety - so off to relegation/promotion playoffs they go.

Not so Special season for the One

Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho were sifting through the debris of what the Portuguese coach termed a "disastrous" 2012-13 campaign after Friday's King's Cup final defeat left the world's richest club without a major trophy for the season.

Bungling at Icasa in the spotlight

Fresh questions about bungling at telecoms regulator Icasa have arisen, as Vodacom gears up to fight the regulator's claim of R77.8-million for alleged licensing fee arrears.

The Fidentia fight is far from over

Five years ago the head of the Financial Services Board (FSB), Dube Tshidi, stressed that co-operation between the FSB and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was crucial in the fight against white-collar crime.

A R150000 'slap' and Brown is free

After millions of rands being lost and six years of talking, in and out of court, J Arthur Brown is a free man.

Now for J Arthur Brown's 'true Fidentia story'

With his trial over, J Arthur Brown says he plans to tell the "true Fidentia story". He claims the curators were less than truthful in their accounts of his disgraced company's affairs.

Fidentia co-accused paid a price

Fidentia co-accused Graham Maddock and Steven Goodwin did not walk free with a mere R150000 fine.

Curro's investor offer sparks price jitters

Shares in private school operator Curro seesawed this week, rocketing 7.3% on Wednesday to R21.80 before slipping 3.6% on Thursday.

Nando's hots up as competition bites

Fast FoodSlowly but surely, the peri-peri chicken chain is pecking its way to international success

Venkat stepping into a cauldron at AngloGold

The man with the big name, Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan (Venkat), is stepping into the big shoes of mining veteran Mark Cutifani at a trying time in the history of South Africa's biggest gold miner, AngloGold Ashanti.

Rupert takes a 'grey gap year'

Richemont's founder has been angling for freedom for some time and, come September, you will find him reading books, on one of his wine estates, playing golf or enjoying some exotic destination

Clucking in chicken coop as import row hots up

Feathers are flying as the spat over import duties on chickens imported into South Africa heads to court.

Put your town on the map in two clicks

NOÉ Diakubama is one of this century's intrepid explorers. An emigrant of the Democratic Republic of Congo, now living in Paris, he created the first-ever map of his village, Mbandaka, using online map-making tools and simply adding what he knew.

Rates to remain unchanged despite speculation of a cut

The Reserve Bank is likely to keep interest rates unchanged at this week's meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), despite widespread speculation of a looming rate cut.

Sleepy island waking up fast

For a long time we have thought of this Indian Ocean island as our dominion - an upmarket, romantic alternative to the umpteenth Umhlanga family holiday, but the sleepy hideaway has rejigged its fiscal policies and become a bona fide challenger for the place to base multinational business in Africa

There just may be glitter in gold shares

It may be a good time for gutsy investors with an appetite for the yellow metal to consider benefitting from bargain prices in listed gold company shares.

Cell firms spend big on data capacity

Over the last five years, mobile companies Vodacom, MTN and 8ta have ploughed more than R50-billion into upgrading their networks, as consumers use more data than ever.

Manufacturers staying confident

The Manufacturing Circle released its Manufacturing Bulletin for the first quarter this week, showing that business confidence in manufacturing is mostly stable. René Vollgraaff spoke the the circle's executive director, Coenraad Bezuidenhout

White spaces can slash internet access costs

It has an arcane name and involves complex communications technology, but there is every reason that you and I should be getting excited about "television white spaces", the gaps in spectrum between broadcast television channels.

Why Fastjet failed to take flight

Fastjet has hit another speed bump en route to local runways.

Platinum jitters as turf war flares in Marikana

The turf war over union membership in the platinum belt threatened to erupt into more violence this week following the murders of three people in the area and a dispute over occupation of offices on the mines.

Tax breaks for the angels

In an effort to bolster enterprise development and job creation, the South African Revenue Service has taken a leaf out of the UK's book and created a new asset class for investors to consider: venture capital trusts.

From pension to hedge fund

As has happened to many others, when he was ready to retire Tom de Lange realised his pension could not sustain his lifestyle.

Retirement dooms your health

Retirement can cause a drastic decline in health, according to a new study.

Your replacement ratio can be a pension pitfall

If you are a member of a company pension scheme, to which you contribute each month, you are probably familiar with the net replacement ratio (NRR) - the proportion of your last pensionable salary before retirement that will be replaced by your monthly pension payout.

Squeeze continues on emerging-market returns

A broad collapse of company profits in the developing world shows no sign of abating, forcing investors to tilt portfolios towards sectors such as healthcare or consumer goods, where margins are more robust.

Thank you for making South Africa work

This week's column is a tribute to all the hard-working men and women who do their best in the most trying circumstances.

The Last Word: Stellenbosch guru can take Reinet gap

Johann Rupert will be missed, and not just by his adoring investor

Bull's Eye: Pension? No, stick to beer

The most sobering news this week came courtesy of the grey-shoe guys at Alexander Forbes, who compile a quarterly index of what soon-to-be pensioners can expect to be paid in their declining years.

Opinion: Investor confidence and the Guptas

What does South Africa need to do to create decent jobs and achieve high levels of inclusive and sustainable economic growth? The answer lies in local and foreign direct investment, which needs to be elevated to a burning national strategic priority.

Opinion: Opening doors to black business

How corporates can contribute to development of emerging enterprises

Corruption Watch: Using money to secure privileges is corruption

Why is everyone in such an uproar about the Guptas? Why does it matter that they landed a private jet at the Waterkloof base? - Unconcerned

Tax Talk: Carbon tax must be explained to laymen

How can South Africa be 1% of the world economy and the 11th-biggest polluter? But there is hope. KPMG reports that we are the 13th most active country in attempts to reduce carbon emissions.

This is the Business: Education - not BEE - will drive our success

In our race-obsessed society, the progress in everything - from banking to universities, from prison warders to chief executive officers, from judges to engineers - is measured by how much progress is being made towards fulfilling strict racial quotas reflective of the demographics of the nation.

SA stocks falter after streaking to new highs

South African stocks ended slightly lower on Friday, snapping a four-day winning streak that took the market to new peaks.

Fitness Plan: Moving up, down and into Africa

The gym business is largely recession-proof in South Africa - and now the country's two big chains are taking aim at lower-income groups

My Brilliant Career: Ground, roasted and poured just right

Bokang Mphahele is a barista at The Daily Buzz, a coffee bar in Johannesburg, where she ensures that her customers' caffeine fix is of the highest standard. She tells Margaret Harris that calling customers by their names rather than an order number makes them feel valued

World finance: Pope blasts the cult of money and the tyranny of capitalism

Call made for ethical banking and curbs on financial speculation

Limits to what QE can achieve

Major central banks may be shifting their tone subtly from "whatever it takes" to "we can do only so much".

Vatican Bank moves to embrace transparency

The Vatican Bank, a centre of scandals for years, is to launch a website and publish its annual reports to improve transparency, says its new president.

BP attacks US over spill claims

BP has escalated its fight against "absurd" Gulf of Mexico compensation claims, launching a stinging attack on the US legal system amid fears that a "raid on its coffers" could jeopardise the oil major's recovery from the disaster.

The Google signage is seen at the company's headquarters in New York. Google Inc and a New York redevelopment organisation are providing a Manhattan neighbourhood with free public WiFi Internet access, making it the largest area of coverage in New York City. The search giant and the non-profit Chelsea Improvement Co are making Internet access available outdoors in Chelsea, which is home to Google's New York offices and several technology start-ups.

Google in tax row with parliament

Google was forced repeatedly to deny misleading the British parliament as it faced fresh questions from MPs this week over its tax status.

Ticket to women's leadership conference up for grabs

The eighth annual Women's Leadership Conference, organised by founder Debby Edelstein, will be held on Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Fame & Fortune: Closing the lid on 'rubbish'

Tarryn Lamb is part of one of the hottest groups on the South African music circuit, BlackByrd. She told Loni Prinsloo more about her brief stint in the world of singing telegrams, how she wanted to become a dancer as a child and why she does not think it is necessary to always keep up with the Kardashians

How To: Interview for the job you want

Looking for a job can be a tricky business, although much of the process is really out of your hands

Sign Post: Beware of the mobile zombies

Never write off a technology brand until its death has been confirmed by the coroners of corporate accounting.

Loose Talk: Calm before the storm?

Since Amplats announced it would retrench less than half of the 14000, Shabangu and her department have been as quiet as a closed mine shaft - could it be that they understand the reasons for the retrenchments and agree with them, or are they just still formulating their next attack on the dirty capitalists?

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