THE National Party has lost its appeal against a decision by the press ombudsman that the Mail & Guardian was justified in publishing details of a police investigation into its leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk. The article, NP leader in bizarre sex probe reported that a Western Cape criminal, John Hermanus, had laid charges of sodomy against Van Schalkwyk, whom he claimed had paid him R20 for sex. The NP claimed that the only reason the M&G published the story was a political motive to smear Van Schalkwyk. But the ombudsman’s appeal panel found the M&G had “truthfully and accurately covered a story about allegations it considered to be untrue”.
ZAMBIAN FISHERMEN NABBED
SOME 68 Zambian fishermen from the north-eastern provinve of Luapula have been arrested and detained in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports on Friday indicated. The fishermen were rounded up by security officers after they strayed into the DRC side of Lake Mweru where they had gone fishing. Both police and government sources in the province confirmed the arrest of the fishermen. The fisherman said they decided to fish on the DRC side of the lake to make up for a ban on fisheries imposed by the Zambian government every rainy season.
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