South African cricket is in a crisis due to a malaise that is fast becoming a national pandemic – euphemistically called poor corporate governance which, in many cases, has opened the door for corruptive measures, tender malpractices and other abuses that are undermining economic growth and which point to a lack of moral fibre in South African society.

Now that the hype and excitement of hosting the Fifa Soccer World Cup 2010 is behind us, some disillusionment is setting in on a number of fronts. Not least is the fact that the magnificent stadiums that were built to host 64 soccer matches over a period of eight weeks are going to cost us some serious money for many years to come. Maybe cats and pigs can tell us something about what happened.

The suggested clampdown on the media by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is nothing new. In the liberation struggle era the ANC used friendly media to its advantage, while coming down hard on those who opposed it in any way. A critical test is at hand on the question of to what extent the ANC has made a successful change-over from being a liberation movement to a party committed to proper democratic government.

The latest controversies surrounding the South African mining industry are putting the reputation of the country as a mining investment destination in serious danger. That which is happening locally with the exploration of mineral resources, however, is not unique to South Africa as governments worldwide are battling to find acceptable ways of extracting more value from these resources for domestic populations in a highly integrated global economy in which competition for mining investment has become keener over the last two years.

Waging war has become big business, and private military and security companies (PMSCs) have gained tremendous influence via the privatisation of large slices of military and security functions in international conflicts – in some instances, their personnel numbers well outstrip uniformed forces in war zones. In the first of a series on this complex subject, an expert analyst looks at how PMSCs have become big players in the business of conducting war.

When it comes to the question of whether globally the economy is on the recovery path or not and/or if it is heading for a double dip recession or not, the top dogs of the investment world and most respected analysts seem to be more deeply divided than ever. One thing is sure, however, if recovery remains only on the balance sheets of investors and institutions and does not shorten unemployment lines, the world is heading for troubled times.

Some of the planning that went into the stadiums which were such an integral part of South Africa’s most successful hosting of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup could have been better to limit the damage control of the ongoing cost legacy they have left us with. But it is extremely unlikely that that legacy could have been totally avoided and no one should be surprised about the debate that is now raging about how it should be dealt with going forward.

The look of bewilderment and utter despair on John Smit’s face after the Springbok’s heart-breaking defeat against New Zealand said more than a thousand words. But perhaps it does not reveal everything. Sheer will-power, guts and determination and the passionate home-support of 90 000 South Africans could not secure a win against a ruthless All Black-team at Soccer City last week. The All Blacks won the pulsating Vodacom Tri Nations match by 29-22 after the Boks led for close to 75 minutes of this 80- minute encounter. Such is the perennial need for professional fine-tuning, reassessment and tactical awareness that yesterday’s tactical masterpieces could become outdated within one season.

“Worth a read?” is not an ordinary book review; it is a meta-review, which provides an overview of the opinions contained in a variety of book reviews published in the media at large. This week’s meta-review is of “Massive: The Hunt for the God Particle”, written by Ian Sample and released in South Africa in June 2010, dealing with an experiment aimed at explaining the start of our world.

The tone of proceedings and the outcome of this week’s meeting of the ANC Youth League’s (ANCYL’s) national general council will be keenly followed by observers. It will prepare the stage for participation in next month’s senior ANC’s own NGC. League president Julius Malema and his fellow ANCYL hardliners would be seeking official adoption of two major ANCYL proposals ­– the nationalisation of mines and bringing down the average age of the senior ANC leadership.

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