South Africa lost one of its most treasured citizens when Dame Helen Suzman, the iconic advocate of liberalism and human rights, died peacefully on the 1st of January 2009. For those of us who knew her well it was not a happy start to the New Year. Knowing her as we did though, she probably [...]

Malashri Lal
The metropolitan and literary aficionados of New Delhi were eagerly awaiting the visit of Nobel laureate, Dr Nadine Gordimer, specially after the newspaper reports of her programmes in Mumbai and Kolkata in November 2008.  Invited by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Govt. of India to deliver a lecture in a series for [...]

Mandela is no doubt a towering figure but isn’t there another side to Mandela? asks Eddie D’ Sa
1. Introduction
Dr Devi Rajab in her South African Newsletter in Confluence (July 08) paid generous tribute to Mandela on the occasion of his 90th birthday. She eulogised that:
- Mandela stands head and shoulders above any world leader today…
- [...]