PRISON SHIPS ON HOLD
EVEN though the correctional services department has decided against buying ships for use as jails, private companies could still be asked to tender for operating floating prisons, correctional services commissioner Khulekani Sitole said on Friday. He said after viewing two hulks for sale in Ukraine and a British floating prison, the department had decided it did not want to take the financial risk of buying, converting and operating a ship that it might no longer need in 20 years. The tendering process for four private-sector-built and operated correctional facilties is at an advanced stage, and once this is complete it will provide a benchmark for other prison projects, such as ships, Sitole said.
FAR RIGHT WINS AT TUKKIES
The far-right Freedom Front scored an upset win in student elections at the University of Pretoria on Thursday. The National Party, which has dominated the university for more than half a century, did not draw a single vote. A group affiliated to Roelf Meyer’s New Movement Process came third, and the ANC Youth League came fifth. The other contenders were non-political student groups.
FREETOWN CLASHES
AT least 11 civilians were killed in Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone, in heavy fighting between Nigerian-led peacekeeping force and soldiers loyal to the military junta. State radio blamed the Nigerians for the deaths, claiming that heavy artillery shells fell on residential areas. Few civilians ventured on the streets, which were largely occupied by heavily armed soldiers.
MPUMALANGA OFFICIALS SUSPENDED
THREE senior Mpumalanga officials have been suspended, after being named in a preliminary report by an auditing firm investigating fraudulent claims by a chemicals company which persuaded officials to order unneccessary supplies. A similar fraud involving the same chemical company, Sen Enterprises, is being investigated in Northern Province.
AFRICA MONTH AT UN
THE United Nations has declared September the “month of Africa”, Security Council President Bill Richardson has announced. A ministerial-level meeting will be held on September 25 to “focus attention and stimulate new thinking” on Africa.
IMPACT STUDIES
A SERIES of environmental regulations, to be phased in from today, will oblige construction companies to undertake environmental impact studies on all major projects. The regulations will cover power stations, roads and railways, public and private holiday resorts, canals, diversion of rivers, sewage plants and much more. The regulations also extend to non-construction uses, for example, large concentrations of livestock or bio-engineering.
CONGO FIGHTING
AFTER a day of optimism in Brazzaville, where fighting died down on Thursday and a peace deal looked close, heavy artillery fire broke out on Friday morning. Fierce fighting could be heard from across the river in Kinshasa today. About 7 000 people are estimated to have died in the fighting in the past three months.