/ 31 July 1997

‘1 100 years needed to clear all landmines’

ANOTHER MEGA-HEIST FIFTEEN armed robbers ambushed a security van on the N4 highway near Bronkhorstspruit, killed two security guards and stole R8-million in cash on Thursday morning. A massive manhunt has been launched to track down the culprits. Pretoria deputy fire chief Gordon Kuhn was shot while driving past the scene of the robbery and is in critical care at a Pretoria hospital. No suspects have been arrested but police have recovered all three vehicles used by the robbers.

NEW ID LAW DRAFT legislation on the new Home Affairs Natitional Identity System was tabled in Parliament on Thursday. The long-awaited Bill is aimed at providing new identity cards, and at phasing out the present identity document. The project will ensure that every qualifying inhabitant of South Africa is issued with a single identity number. It also empowers the Minister of Home Affairs to allow restricted access to the population register by insurance companies, banking institutions and other organisations.