/ 28 August 1997

Pagad official raided, guns seized

BALLOT TO CHOOSE PREMIER

OUTGOING Gauteng Premier Tokyo Sexwale, who is retiring in January, said on Thursday that the election of a new premier will now be put to a party ballot. The African National Conmgress has been unable to select a replacement because of disagreement within the party over the two candidates, Advocate Mathole Motshega and Amos Masondo. A special provincial general council meeting will be held on September 28, where Sexwale will resign from the chairmanship and a new party leader elected.

COMORAN SEPARATISTS SHOT

COMORAN government troops on Thursday opened fire on a group of separatist activists on the island of Moheli, wounding at least two people. It is unclear what caused the clash, with witnesses giving different accounts. Some said the army had intervened to free and protect the governor of Moheli and his family after they were held by members of the Mkoutrouo separatist group. However, another source said trouble broke out after separatists persuaded the governor to resign and then went to the gendarmerie (paramilitary police post) to demand the keys to official buildings. It is believed military reinforcements have been sent to the island.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Organisation of African Unity arrived in the capital Moroni on Thursday on a mission to rebuild confidence among the people of the archipelago ahead of negotiations due to begin in Addis Ababa on September 10.

LESOTHO PARLIAMENT BARRED

The public and the media were on Thursday barred from attending sittings of the Lesotho National Assembly in Maseru until further notice. Speaker Dr John Kolane announced at the start of Thursday’s sitting that with effect from Friday, only MPs, parliamentary staff and the police will be allowed in parliament. He gave no reasons for the ruling and adjourned the sitting until Friday. Thursday’s ruling follows a hectic week in which tempers flared as some BCP MPs were ordered out of the Assembly during debate surrounding the party’s objection to being labelled the official opposition.

VISTA CAMPUS CLOSED

VISTA University’s Bloemfontein campus was closed on Thursday after two weeks of student unrest culminated on Wednesday in threats to staff and damage to property. University representative Laurika Olwagen said the unrest arose from emands made by students regarding examinations and open-ended financing of their activities. All academic, administrative and support staff at the Bloemfontein campus were required to vacate the campus by 2pm on Thursday and to report back for duty on Monday. No-one will be allowed on the campus until Monday morning.

OLYMPIC SEND-OFF

CAPETONIANS lined the streets in their hundreds to watch a ritual march on Parliament yesterday to send off South Africa’s delegation to Switzerland to bid for the 2004 Olympic Games. Western Cape Premier Hernus Kriel led the march, and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki was main speaker, saying “I have a firm hope that the international community will say Africa can and Africa will host the 2004 Olympic Games.” A decision will be made in nine days time.

ANC TO RETRENCH 163

THE African National Congress is to retrench 163 staffers in a radical cost-cutting drive, ANC acting secretary-general Cheryl Carolus said on Wednesday. Carolus said international donor funding had almost dried up and the party’s expenditure is unsustainable. She said the lay-offs will cut the party’s monthly expenditure by half. Of the employees leaving the ANC, 85 are doing so voluntarily, 21 were offered special pension packages because they were over the age of 55, and 42 had applied for other posts in the ANC, but said they would also leave voluntarily if their applications failed. The 163 employees will part ways with the ANC at the end of August, leaving the party with 397 employees.

NO RECORD OF CHILUBA’S BIRTH

The hospital at which Zambian President Frederick Chiluba was born told the Zambia Supreme Court on Wednesday that all records dated before 1951 have been destroyed. As a result, there is no record of Chiluba’s birth. Chiluba is being challenged in court by opposition groups who claim he is not a born Zambian, as required by the constitution.

DRC GETS ZIM CREDIT LINE

ZIMBABWE will set up a private-sector-driven line of credit to help businesses from the Democratic Republic of Congo buy Zimbabwean goods, Industry and Commerce Minister Nathan Shamuyarira told a delegation from Kinshasa. Last month Shamuyarira led a 50-member Zimbabwean delegation to the DRC to prospect business.

SCIENTISTS AWARDED

SENAGALESE scientist Dr Modou Lo and Nigerian Professor Augustine Okhamafe have won west Africa’s top science prize for research aimed at developing Africa’s natural resources. The $13 000 Ecowas Prize goes to Lo for work in biochemistry, and to Okhamafe for work on extracting cellulose from agricultural waste.