Telkom has had an offer from a Vodafone unit for its half of mobile operator Vodacom, while Mvelaphanda may lead a bid for the whole group minus the Vodacom stake, Telkom said on Monday. Shares in Telkom jumped over 15% to R158, the highest level in six months and valuing the company at R82,28-billion.
The General Council of the Bar, representing most of the country's advocates, on Tuesday added its voice to calls for Cape Judge President John Hlophe to step down. Chairperson Jannie Eksteen said if Hlophe did not voluntarily go on leave, the minister of justice or the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) "must see how that can be facilitated as a matter of urgency".
The disbanding of the Scorpions will protect corrupt and criminal politicians from prosecution, the deputy director of Public Prosecutions warned on Thursday. The Directorate of Special Operations, also known as the Scorpions, would lose its ability to independently investigate government officials if it was incorporated into the police, said Billy Downer, SC.
Two weeks of anti-foreigner violence in South Africa have highlighted the growing disconnect between a public impatient for change and a governing party that claims a divine right to rule. Although there is little prospect of the African National Congress (ANC) losing next year's elections, genuine signs of anger have emerged during the crisis.
About 60 people were evacuated from the African National Congress (ANC) headquarters, Luthuli House in Sauer Street in Johannesburg, following a bomb scare that was received on Thursday morning. "The switchboard received the bomb scare at 8am this morning ... everyone in the building was then immediately evacuated," said ANC spokesperson Steyn Speed.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service are hard at work repairing their relationship ahead of a planned merger with the Scorpions, NPA acting head Mokotedi Mpshe said on Wednesday. "We're focusing primarily on salvaging whatever relations there are," Mpshe told reporters in Johannesburg.
The University of the Free State's handling of the Reitz saga has not contributed to reconciliation, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) said on Tuesday. FF Plus leader in the Free State Abrie Oosthuizen said the decision by the university to close the Reitz residence was an act of subservience to the African National Congress.
President Thabo Mbeki faces an uphill battle to remain politically relevant in his last year in office after his failure to contain an eruption of violence that has killed dozens of foreign workers in South Africa. Mbeki was already under fire for failing to prevent a crippling power shortage when mobs went on the rampage this month.
President Thabo Mbeki has failed to provide leadership and should be recalled from the presidency to make way for early elections, the South African Communist Party (SACP) said on Sunday. The SACP blamed Mbeki for a recent wave of violence against foreigners in which 62 people have been killed.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions on Wednesday elected S'dumo Dlamini to take over as president after the sacking of its embattled president, Willie Madisha. This was announced by Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi at a press briefing after the union's three-day central executive committee meeting in Johannesburg.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) started a three-day meeting on Monday to elect an acting president, following the axing of Willy Madisha over a missing donation scandal in February. S'dumo Dlamini, first vice-president of Cosatu, is expected to be elected as the acting president.
The South African government came under pressure on Monday to deal with the aftermath of deadly anti-foreigner violence that has displaced an estimated 35Â 000 people. As thousands headed for the borders, a growing humanitarian crisis was developing domestically with crowds of foreigners sheltering at police stations.
President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday called a wave of deadly attacks on migrants an "absolute disgrace" and said his government would take all measures to bring those responsible to justice. Meanwhile, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma said all people in South Africa should be tolerant of one another.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, already under fire for perceived policy failings that caused an anti-immigrant backlash in his country, now faces questions about his handling of the crisis. The head of state is yet to visit the worst affected areas of Johannesburg after two weeks of violence against foreigners.
A motorcyclist punched a KwaZulu-Natal VIP driver on Saturday afternoon after the driver had crashed into the back of another car, seriously injuring its occupant. KwaZulu-Natal transport spokesperson Rajen Chinaboo said road traffic inspectorate officials at the scene reported that there "had been some sort of altercation".
South Africa's government admitted on Friday it was aware of the potential of anti-immigrant sentiment to explode into violence. "Of course we were aware there was something brewing. It is one thing to know there is a social problem and another thing to know when that outburst will occur," said Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils.
Cape Town Judge President John Hlophe must step down, political parties said on Sunday. Hlophe is accused of attempting to influence the Constitutional Court's decision over search-and-seizure raids carried out by the Scorpions on properties of Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturing giant Thint.
Cape Judge President John Hlophe has been accused of attempting to influence the Constitutional Court's decision over search-and-seizure raids carried out by the Scorpions on properties of African National Congress president Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturing giant Thint.
The Constitutional Court on Thursday dismissed an application by fraud convict Schabir Shaik to have over R33-million of his assets returned. Justice Kate O'Regan concluded that the state had established that benefits "flowed" to Shaik and his companies as a result of African National Congress president Jacob Zuma's support and intervention.
Johannesburg businessman Hugh Glenister has instructed his legal team to apply to the Constitutional Court for an order to prevent the government from disbanding the Scorpions. This was after the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday struck his application from the roll, saying it did not have the jurisdiction to decide on the matter.
