South Africa's current account plunged further into deficit in the third quarter of 2007 as both oil-import costs and payments to foreign investors surged, but household spending eased due to higher interest rates. The central bank said in its latest quarterly bulletin the shortfall on the current account swelled to a record R162,6-billion, or 8,1% of gross domestic product.
South Africa said on Wednesday it would not sign a new trade pact with the European Union until its concerns over possible "detrimental impacts" new accords could have on Africa had been addressed. "South Africa is very much opposed to the inclusion of certain trade and services clauses," Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General Gert Grobler told journalists.
Oscar Pistorius, the self-described "fastest thing on no legs", retains both his sense of humour and confidence when he mulls the possibility that his Olympics dream could be about to be shattered. "It has been my dream to run with the able-bodied and in the Olympics," the South African double amputee tells Agence France-Presse.
The Bulls' chances of defending their Super 14 rugby title suffered a blow Monday when inside centre Wayne Julies was ruled out of the competition with a knee injury. Team doctor Tommie Smook, who will stay on with the Bulls until the end of the Super 14, on Monday said Julies had to undergo an operation and will not be able to play for at least six months.
Kaizer Chiefs were held to a 1-1 draw by the Black Leopards in an Absa Premiership match at the Loftus Stadium on Saturday night. This was Chiefs' ninth draw from 15 league games and the Soweto giants are now 10th on the log while Leopards are in 15th place with 14 points.
The African National Congress (ANC) was saddened by the "untimely death" of Mlungisi Sisulu, the son of Max and Elinor Sisulu, it said on Friday. "The ANC extends its heartfelt condolences to the Sisulu family, his colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and friends," ANC head of the Presidency Smuts Ngonyama said in a statement.
"Unfortunate and regrettable" was how Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya on Friday described the publication of a letter in which he criticised Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota. "I wish to state that the letter was intended for internal discussion within the African National Congress, and not for public consumption," he said.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) was not involved in reviewing the arrest warrant for its National Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Thursday. However, he confirmed that the warrant was indeed the subject of review.
President Thabo Mbeki took issue with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) report on South Africa, which suggested that there was an unacceptably high level of violent crime in the country. This emerged when the APRM report was unceremoniously released as part of a post-Cabinet media briefing at the Union Buildings on Thursday.
Hundreds of men and women, including Cabinet ministers, marched in Pretoria on Wednesday in support of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign. The crowd marched from Sammy Marks Square to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum calling for more to be done for gender equality.
The present South African government will serve out its term, President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday. He was speaking at his official residence in Pretoria a day after the closing of the African National Congress's national conference in Polokwane that saw Jacob Zuma toppling him as party president.
A bomb scare disrupted proceedings at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court for about two hours on Thursday. Police spokesperson Captain Paul Ramaloko said chief magistrate Desmond Nair was informed of a call, warning about a bomb, just after 10am. Several police units reacted and arrived at the scene.
Much still needs to be done to clean up the Home Affairs Department, Director General Mavuso Msimang said on Friday. He was reacting to the arrests of five home affairs officials and a former official at the Watloo home affairs office in Pretoria on Friday. The six were arrested following months of investigation.
House robbery, business robbery and truck hijacking increased between April and September this year, the police announced in Pretoria on Thursday. House robbery rose by 7%, business robbery by 29,3%, and truck hijacking by 53,3%. There were 6Â 711 house robberies in the six months from April to September, up from 6Â 271 over the same period last year.
Former Springbok hooker James Dalton, accused of attempting to murder his wife, Andrea, appeared briefly in the Pretoria Regional Court on Friday. Dalton (35) was arrested in November after he handed himself over to the Boschkop police, about a week after his wife had laid the charge.
Charges of cruelty to animals and of being in possession of dagga were on Tuesday withdrawn in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court against a teenager who earlier this year cut off a dog's head. The court heard that Jacques Wensel (18) of Pretoria West, had successfully completed a diversion programme.
Two teenagers, accused of strangling and stabbing to death teenager Samantha Uys, were found guilty of her murder in the Pretoria High Court on Friday. Handing down judgement, Judge Tholi Vilakazi found Ricky "Slash" Godfrey and Kabelo "KB" Mokwena, both 19, guilty of the November 2005 murder.
The bail application of Muziwendoda Kunene, the man caught up in the African National Congress hoax email saga, was abandoned in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court on Monday. Magistrate Allan Cowan postponed the case attempted murder against Kunene to January 15.
The Pretoria High Court has reversed a temporary ban on the book White Power: The Rise and Fall of the National Party. Judge Willie Seriti on Friday discharged an interim court order granted last month to Eugene de Kock to recall the book and stop its further publication, distribution and sale.
The so-called "boot killer", Daniel van der Walt, was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years' imprisonment for brutally beating and strangling a frail young prospective employee. Van der Walt, a powerfully built blockman who used to work at a butchery, admitted that he had in February last year murdered petite Marlene Mauer (20).
