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/ 11 October 2006
A bid by the African National Congress to wrest back power in Cape Town, a lone bastion of opposition to South Africa’s ruling party, has triggered a fierce backlash across the political spectrum. Western Cape minister of local government Richard Dyantyi has summoned members of the city council to a meeting next Tuesday where he will flesh out plans to amend the system of government.
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/ 11 October 2006
Armed youths have released dozens of Nigerian employees of the oil company Shell and its subcontractors, but about 15 workers are still being held at a flow station in the restive Niger Delta, security sources said on Wednesday. About 60 workers were taken hostage on Tuesday morning when the armed youths seized the Shell flow station on the Nun river in Bayelsa State.
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/ 11 October 2006
Shares in South Africa’s media and entertainment group Naspers have jumped 9,52% so far this month, outshining the media index at 6,97%. Analysts said the stocks have been "undervalued in recent months and were beginning to gain value". By 11.49am on Wednesday, shares in Naspers had picked up 1,3% to R130,98.
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/ 11 October 2006
A senior Gauteng transport official has acknowledged that he failed to follow proper procedures in awarding a R5-million tender to a Cabinet minister’s wife. Media reports on Wednesday quoted provincial transport department head Sibusiso Buthelezi as saying he did not advertise the tender ”because it was a matter of urgency”.
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/ 11 October 2006
A sell-off in resources stocks pushed the JSE into the red by 191 points by midday Wednesday, with players also seen adopting a cautious stance ahead of the key decision on interest rates due on Thursday. By 12.10pm, the all-share index was down 0,84%, with gold off by 2,58% and resources by 1,55%.
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/ 11 October 2006
Durban’s Engen oil refinery was shut down on Wednesday morning after a power failure, an Engen spokesperson said. Herb Payne said the refinery shut down automatically as a result of the power failure. The shut-down resulted in a huge plume of black smoke being sent ”into the atmosphere”.
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/ 11 October 2006
A high court in northern Nigeria’s Adamawa state on Tuesday sentenced the leader of an unorthodox and militant Islamic sect on the run for 22 years to death by hanging, state-run Radio Nigeria Kaduna reported. Musa Ali Suleiman (51) was found guilty of three charges of murder, conspiracy and incitement of public disturbance.
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/ 11 October 2006
Police were ”working around the clock” after a baby girl was killed and seven other people were wounded in a shooting during a cash-in-transit heist in central Johannesburg on Tuesday. The incident occurred outside a cosmetic shop on the corner of Bree and Wanderers streets at about noon on Tuesday.
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/ 11 October 2006
The Tri-Nations rugby series will revert to a six-Test tournament in 2007 to allow for the staging of the Rugby World Cup in France, tournament organisers announced on Wednesday. The South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby Unions (Sanzar) released the 2007 Tri-Nations draw, with the Springboks to start with a home international against the Wallabies on June 16.
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/ 11 October 2006
Matt Giteau is likely to be tried at scrumhalf on the Wallabies’ European rugby tour next month after the injury withdrawal of first-choice number nine Sam Cordingley, coach John Connolly said on Wednesday. Cordingley, promoted to first-choice after skipper George Gregan opted to stay at home, pulled out of the tour on Wednesday with a persistent foot injury.