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/ 1 November 2006
Fundamental changes to power given to land claims commissioners will streamline and speed up the restitution process, said Limpopo commissioner Mashile Mokono. ”The minister [of agriculture and land affairs] has agreed to delegate some powers to approve and finalise land claims to the chief land commissioner, as well as regional land claims commissioners,” said Mokono.
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/ 1 November 2006
The remaining two Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) ministers in the KwaZulu-Natal cabinet were fired on Wednesday and replaced with stalwarts from the African National Congress (ANC). KwaZulu-Natal premier Sbu Ndebele also axed the ANC’s Gabriel Ndabandaba, the agricultural and environmental affairs provincial minister.
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/ 1 November 2006
Police in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, on Wednesday used batons to break up a demonstration by scores of pro-democracy activists, arresting three protesters, a spokesperson for the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) claimed. At least 250 members of the NCA were rounded up by police in central Harare while demonstrating for a new Constitution.
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/ 1 November 2006
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was banned for two years and teammate Mohammad Asif for one year after they tested positive for a banned steroid, an official said on Wednesday. A three-member doping tribunal appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board ruled the pace pair out of all international and domestic cricket following hours of deliberations in the eastern city of Lahore.
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/ 1 November 2006
The judgement of the Supreme Court of Appeal on Durban businessman Schabir Shaik will be final, unless there are found to be constitutional aspects to the case, a law expert said on Wednesday. ”If there is no constitutional issue found to be involved, then the matter ends …,” said Professor Tom Coetzee, lecturer in criminal law at the University of North West.
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/ 1 November 2006
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the ministerial review commission on intelligence announced by Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils on Wednesday. ”In particular, we are pleased with the clearly transparent process and public involvement,” DA spokesperson Paul Swart said in a statement.
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/ 1 November 2006
Former president PW Botha, who is to be laid to rest next week, will not have a state funeral, according to a spokesperson for the church where his memorial service is to be held. He died on Tuesday night at his home in the Western Cape. The news follows a visit on Wednesday by Director General in the Presidency Frank Chikane to Botha’s wife Barbara at the couple’s home in the coastal town of Wilderness.
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/ 1 November 2006
The Red Cross unveiled ambitious plans on Wednesday to help 50-million people in Southern Africa combat the scourge of Aids, as it appealed for hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the programme. The Geneva-based organisation said it needed -million to pay for its campaign to battle the disease in 10 countries in the south of the world’s poorest continent.
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/ 1 November 2006
Tougher enforcement measures had to be agreed on to eradicate conflict diamonds, De Beers said on Wednesday. Governments needed to be more pro-active in the enforcement of diamond import and export controls, De Beers Group chairperson Nicky Oppenheimer said ahead of next week’s meeting of the United Nations-mandated Kimberley Process in Botswana.
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/ 1 November 2006
Flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town for less than R200 makes South Africa’s newest low-cost airline, Mango, seem very attractive. But does the airline believe in itself? Mango has registered a list of derogatory variations on its internet domain name, Flymango.com, in an attempt to ward off websites that could be launched by its competitors.