HEAD-HUNTER ACQUITTED NICHOLAS MBAMBATHO, alias ‘Chief’ Nicholas Gcaleka, the man who made a much-publicised trip to Scotland last year to retrieve the skull of Xhosa king Hintsa, was on Monday acquitted in the Umtata Magistrate’s Court of fraud involving the purchase of large amounts of liquor. A second fraud count involving the purchase of R65 000 worth of mealies from the now defuct Transkei Agricultural Corporation during 1991 was withdrawn after witnesses could not be traced.
RECONSIDER IBA, SAYS MANDELA NELSON MANDELA, who has held back on approving the new Independent Broadcasting Authority nominations, seized the opportunity when one of the councillors withdrew, to call on parliament to “reconsider”. On Monday, one of the nominees, Sam Mokoetle, withdrew due to “conflict of interest” with the SABC.
MANGOPE JOINS UP WITH ROELF FORMER Bophutatswana strongman Lucas Mangope has set up a joint “technical committee” along with Roelf Meyer and Bantu Holomisa to explore the possibility of a merger. Mangope heads the United Christian Democratic Party.
PORTUGUESE PRESIDENT FLIES IN PORTUGAL’S president Jorge Sampaio will fly to South Africa on Wednesday to discuss East Timor with Nelson Mandela. Portugal continues to regard East Timor as its own territory.
PRESS UNREASONABLE PRESS demands for the right to publish the name of the country with which Denel has an arms deal were “grossly unreasonable”, a Pretoria court ruled yesterday. Justice IWB De Villiers, giving reasons for his judgments against the Mail & Guardian and the Sunday Independent last week, said Denel’s rights to safeguard a R7-billion deal weighed more heavily than the press right to publish.