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/ 19 February 2007
The wave of floods hammering southern Africa, from Angola in the west to Madagascar in the east, has displaced hundreds of thousands, destroying homes and schools and creating fears of disease outbreak. That’s the bad news. The good news is that governments and aid organisations operating in the region have learned from the devastating floods of 2000/01.
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/ 19 February 2007
Up to a week ago, Guinea’s private radio stations were broadcasting dramatic first-hand accounts of violent street clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces. But since President Lansana Conte decreed martial law on February 12, non-government broadcasters are either off the air or playing innocuous music.
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/ 19 February 2007
The City of Johannesburg will next week appeal against a high court decision preventing it from evicting residents of condemned buildings in the inner city, unless it provides suitable alternative accommodation in the surrounding area. In the controversial judgement, Judge Mahommed Jajbhay found the state had a constitutional obligation to provide for the housing needs of its most indigent citizens.
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/ 19 February 2007
One note on Tuesday soured the perfect cadence that greeted North Korea’s decision to shut down its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, and take the first step towards dismantling its nuclear-weapons programme. Characteristically, it was sounded by John Bolton, who has lost his job as United States ambassador to the United Nations, but not his voice.
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/ 19 February 2007
A historic new phase in the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence has begun. The reccent Mecca agreement between Hamas and Fatah will pave the way for the first ever truly Palestinian national unity government. Hamas and Fatah, joined by all the other Palestinian factions, will now seek to rebuild Palestinian society.
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/ 19 February 2007
Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla restored two controversial politicians to his Cabinet this week, amid claims that he is rewarding political favours. Senior ANC provincial executive committee members, who did not want to be named, said Makwetla’s reinstatement of David Mabuza and Craig Padayachee was a way of repaying favours that helped him to become the ANC’s provincial leader in 2004.
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/ 19 February 2007
Charles Lamb was the first Scrooge of Valentine’s Day. “The weary and all forspent twopenny postman sinks beneath a load of delicate embarrassments,” he wrote in 1819. “In these little visual interpretations, the bestuck and bleeding heart is twisted and tortured into more allegories and affectations than an opera hat.”
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/ 19 February 2007
Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni on Thursday announced that the repo rate would remain unchanged at 9%, following the two-day meeting of the monetary policy committee (MPC) this week. Banks are expected to leave the prime lending rate unchanged at 12,5%.
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/ 19 February 2007
President Thabo Mbeki recently warned that the government’s R7,7billion taxi recapitalisation plan will not be held to ransom by the taxi industry. However, the National Taxi Alliance (NTA), a major player in the industry, remains vehemently opposed to the idea.
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/ 19 February 2007
Fred Khumalo wishes for suicide bombers to put an end to South Africa’s culture of shopping malls.