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/ 3 June 2008

‘Can’t have JSC fiddling’ on Hlophe

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”.

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/ 2 June 2008

Telkom gets bid from Vodafone

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.

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/ 1 June 2008

SACP: Mbeki should be recalled

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.

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/ 29 May 2008

Disbanding Scorpions ‘will protect politicians’

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.

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/ 29 May 2008

Constitutional Court dismisses Shaik’s appeal

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.

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/ 29 May 2008

Bomb scare at ANC headquarters

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.

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/ 29 May 2008

Analysts: Violence jolts complacent ANC

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.

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/ 29 May 2008

New Cosatu president appointed

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.

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/ 28 May 2008

NPA, cops work to mend relations

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.

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/ 28 May 2008

Battle for Scorpions not yet over

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.

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/ 27 May 2008

FF+ slams closure of Reitz men’s residence

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.

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/ 27 May 2008

Mbeki’s rule in limbo as townships burn

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.

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/ 26 May 2008

Govt under pressure over violence

The South African government came under pressure on Monday to deal with the aftermath of deadly anti-foreigner violence that has displaced an estimated 35 000 people. As thousands headed for the borders, a growing humanitarian crisis was developing domestically with crowds of foreigners sheltering at police stations.

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/ 26 May 2008

Cosatu meets to elect acting leader

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.

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/ 25 May 2008

Absent Mbeki criticised over violence

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.

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/ 24 May 2008

VIP driver punched after accident on the N3

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”.

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/ 24 May 2008

SA knew of xenophobia threat, says Kasrils

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.

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/ 23 May 2008

‘Deliberate effort’ behind attacks

South Africa’s security chief on Friday accused rightwingers linked to the former apartheid government of fanning xenophobic violence that has spread to Cape Town, the second largest city and tourist centre. At least 42 people have been killed and thousands driven from their homes in 12 days of attacks.

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/ 23 May 2008

City Press wins appeal over Zuma report

City Press has successfully appealed against a press ombudsman finding over the accuracy and fairness of a report on African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, the Press Council Appeals Panel said on Friday. The article, headlined ”Cracks in Zuma’s NEC”, reported that Zuma became angry at a national executive committee [NEC] meeting on January 8.

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/ 23 May 2008

Violence adds to economic woes

Anti-foreigner violence in South Africa has already hit the mining sector, a mainstay of the domestic economy, and threatens to undermine confidence among international investors, analysts say. Even before the unrest broke out, the outlook for the South African economy was clouded by uncertainty.

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/ 23 May 2008

Pahad decides to throw in the towel

Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad will not be available to serve in public office after next year’s elections, a media report said on Friday. Pahad is the latest government figure to announce his intentions after Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin went public about his resignation, also planned for after next year’s elections.

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/ 22 May 2008

No Cabinet position for now, says Motlanthe

African National Congress deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, recently sworn in as an MP, will remain on the back benches of Parliament for now and will not join the Cabinet, he said on Thursday. ”I will be on the back benches. I’m going to have to learn how the institution works,” he told reporters at the International Media Forum in Johannesburg.

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/ 22 May 2008

ANC on xenophobia: Cops acted too slowly

African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe on Thursday said the police responded too slowly to the first xenophobic attacks in Alexandra. This came as it was reported that anti-foreigner violence had spread to North West. More than 40 people have been killed since the outbreak of xenophobic attacks on May 12.

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/ 21 May 2008

Court ruling on Scorpions expected next week

Johannesburg businessman Hugh Glenister will likely hear next week whether his court bid to stop the government from disbanding the Scorpions has succeeded. The Pretoria High Court on Wednesday reserved judgement in his case, with Judge Willie van der Merwe indicating it was likely he would deliver judgement sometime next week.

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/ 21 May 2008

Decision on Scorpions illegal, court hears

President Thabo Mbeki abdicated his power in deciding to disband the Scorpions, the Pretoria High Court heard on Wednesday. United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa was in court listening as counsel for his and four other opposition parties argued that Mbeki and the Cabinet took their cue from the African National Congress on a decision to dissolve the Scorpions.