If the lethal form of the H5N1 bird flu currently spreading across Asia and Europe mutates to become a specifically human killer, it is thought that a third of South Africans could become sick, 8% of whom could require hospitalisation. This means that more than a million could die within a year, and the country could virtually be closed down.
The African National Congress Youth League and Brett Kebble’s other political clients must face facts: the vast scale of the murdered businessman’s crimes has become inescapable. What has also become clear is that Kebble could not have looted and manipulated the companies he controlled without the active or unknowing participation of others.
On Monday morning, it was celebration time in South Africa as <i>Tsotsi</i> won an Oscar for best foreign film. It was a national high-water mark. At the same time, real political tsotsis — called "comrade tsotsis" in the old days — were running amok outside the Johannesburg High Court, threatening the rape complainant in Jacob Zuma’s trial.
"Tragedy is knowing the right thing to do and not being able to do it. President Yoweri Museveni’s February 23 election victory is tragic. He changed the Constitution to eliminate the presidential term limit. Most people knew that if he stood for president, he would ensure victory by hook or by crook," writes Godfrey Chesang.
The way to make a small fortune in the movie industry — including with hits such as <i>Tsotsi</i> — is to start with a large fortune. Despite its Oscar, <i>Tsotsi</i> will not be a great moneymaker, says Peter Fudakowski, producer of <i>Tsotsi</i> and head of the UK Film and Television Foundation, which financed 50% of the movie.
Transnet management gave notice that it would press ahead with its decision to dispose of non-core business units and announced its appointment of Standard Bank as its transaction adviser. It also announced that Metrorail would be transferred into the South African Rail Commuter Corporation under the Department of Transport by way of sale agreement.
Jacob Zuma’s core supporters still believe that, with his accuser’s crediÂbility in doubt, he will go on to clear himself of rape charges and re-establish his chances of becoming the next African National Congress president. And they stress that Zuma’s deepening woes do not necessarily strengthen President Thabo Mbeki’s position, because grassroots ANC members hold Mbeki responsible for engineering them.
Having experienced a disastrous harvest last year — the worst in a decade, according to the United Nations World Food Programme — Malawi now appears set to improve its food situation.Agriculture officials were earlier this week reported as saying that a maize harvest of 2,4-million tonnes was expected shortly, thanks in part to good rains that had ended months of drought.
Environmentalists have accused Virgin Atlantic of double standards over an initiative to plant trees to compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions from limousines used to drive its customers to airports. Richard Branson’s airline this week said it was ”actively exploring” options such as Carbon Neutral — a controversial programme of planting trees to offset carbon emissions.
More than 20-million people in the Horn of Africa are at risk of famine, in conditions the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) described recently as the worst in his experience. James Morris, executive director of the WFP, has warned the international community that millions of people in Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Tanzania are now at risk because of drought.