Loose cannons

Wednesday, May 8, 1996 - 10:00

Democrat — 1

"If somebody wants to risk burning this country to ashes, let them arrest me." — South African Inkatha Freedom Party president Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi in response to evidence before the murder trial of former defence minister General Magnus Malan and other top apartheid generals that points to Buthelezi's direct involvement with the establishment of death squads in KwaZulu.

Democrat — 2

"Alexander Lebed, Russian presidential hopeful, reportedly said he opposed an elected parliament, and favoured a 'highly professional Duma selected by the President'." — OMRI Daily Digest, April 1 (Open Media Research Institute).

Let us prey

"What is good for the church is good for the community." — Father Brian Lucas at a public meeting on the Catholic Church's controversial plan to subdivide and build 300 houses on its St Patrick's Estate at Manly, land granted to it in trust in 1879.

Nuclear free atomic bombs

"... the US had initially baulked at signing the Pelinda Treaty, which makes Africa a nuclear free zone ... fearing that it could prevent nuclear retaliation against Libya if it uses chemical weapons. A White House spokesman later announced that Washington does not view the treaty as restricting such a response." — OMRI Daily Digest, April 12.

Sound business practice

"Promises are good. Cash is better." — Joseph Connor, UN under-secretary-general for administration and management, on US pledges to pay US$328 million of the US$1.9 billion it owes the United Nations.

Take your doll to church

"An absolutely cold, cynical, pragmatic creation, demonstrative of an obsession with sex." — Russian fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev on the Barbie doll. Zaitsev plans to introduce a competing doll which, according to the British Guardian, "would be chubby, cuddly and come with a soul".

The right to a job?

"The existing rights of Telstra employees are not affected by the introduction of minority private ownership." — Communications minister Senator Richard Alston, on the Telstra privatisation bill.