A REPORT into the August bombings of two United States embassies in East Africa has faulted several government agencies for failing to properly assess the security threat. The report, released by the US state department on Friday, found that the embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam had not been provided with adequate security against large car bombs. “We believe there was a collective failure by several administrations and Congresses over the past decade to invest adequate resources to reduce the vulnerability of US diplomatic missions around the world to terrorist attacks,” the report said. The August 7 car-bombs in Dar es Salaam killed 11 Tanzanians and wounded more than 70, while a nearly simultaneous car-bomb at the US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya killed 213 people, 12 of them Americans, and wounded about 5000.
PRESSURE ON TAP
RESIDENTS in cash-strapped Leandra, in Mpumalanga, are getting full water pressure after spending three months at only 25% pressure. Water supplier Rand Water cut the supply to the town by 75% in October because the council owed R1,5-million in arrears. Rand Water’s general operations manager, Attie van Rensburg, said on Friday that the water pressure was increased at Christmas after the council and provincial local government department undertook to pay off the town’s debt. The council is urging residents to pay their current accounts and 40% of their arrears by January 27 or have their water supply cut.