LOOKING BACK

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 50 YEARS AGO

● The fantastic gold boom is giving South Africa a tremendous economic boost to such an extent that it is rapidly converting the country into a major economic power enjoying one of the highest growth rates in the world. This strongly held view of leading bankers in both the public and private sectors was supported yesterday by the Minister of Finance, Dr Nico Diederichs, who told the Sunday Times: “In all my life, I have never before felt so optimistic about the future of the Republic. We have practically every commodity the world wants, and there has been a fundamental shift in values away from paper money and towards commodities. Our only weakness would seem to lie in the supply of skilled labour, but I feel that we will now be better able to finance the training and development of our non-White peoples to ease the problem.”

— February 24 1974

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 25 YEARS AGO

● The wonder sex drug Viagra will be launched in South Africa this week after the Medicines Control Council finally approved the marketing of the pill on Thursday night. Since April, the Council has refused to give the miracle anti-impotency drug the green light, because of concerns over 130 deaths linked to the drug in the US from March last year. Pharmacists canvassed yesterday expect a huge demand when it hits the shelves, but the Council has insisted on stringent safety measures for its use in South Africa. The drug has been stored in warehouses in South Africa since October, when approval for its registration was given and suddenly withdrawn. February 28 1999 —