Cape crusader

The year's last alumnus to be proud of No 153 is a possible leader of one of the few countries where communism is still felt to be good, and whose entry in the International Who's Who frankly lists "mil. training, USSR" as one of his past occupations, along with "6 weeks detention, Byo."

But Thabo Mbeki, the new president of the African National Congress of South Africa, is now more at home with local capitalists and deal-makers, skills we are sure he honed at the universities of London and Sussex. The likely successor to Nelson Mandela as president of country as well as party was once "ANC delegate to talks about talks," which implies that South Africa's gain is academe's loss.