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/ 11 October 2004
The New National Party held its 86th provincial conference in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend at which its provincial leader Renier Schoeman was unanimously re-elected and former provincial legislature member Brian Edwards became provincial chairperson.
The South African Cabinet has urged members of the media to respect the dignity of the office of Deputy President Jacob Zuma ”and not (to) impugn his integrity on the basis of allegations not proven in a court of law”. Government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe noted the Cabinet as saying: ”With regard to matters relating to the deputy president in particular, government has noted his public response to the allegations, and takes him at his word.”
South Africa’s Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils says the polarised world order of the Cold War era has given way to ”more uncertainty and unpredictability,” but this new order was here to stay. Kasrils was speaking at a national security conference in Pretoria — on the theme ”Reviewing National Security after 10 Years of Democracy” — on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe’s official opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has hinted strongly that it will participate in the forthcoming March national election — even though conditions at present appeared to indicate otherwise. The party argues that South Africa is losing up to half of its economic growth due to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Tony Leon is assured of continued leadership of the official opposition Democratic Alliance because there is no one else in the party ready — or willing — to fill his shoes. This is the overwhelming consensus among public representatives after former Western Cape education minister Helen Zille had been approached by public representatives to run against him. But she’s made it clear she would not stand.
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/ 29 September 2004
South African President Thabo Mbeki has poked fun at newspaper speculation about his successor, saying two correct predictions had been made. He stated at the South African Local Government Association conference at a convention centre in Cape Town on Wednesday: ”I have been told that some in our media have very recently been involved in a strange debate evidently to answer the question — what happens when Mbeki goes?!”
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/ 21 September 2004
The madness of the floor-crossing period for municipal government councillors is over and once again the ruling African National Congress has snatched up swathes of support from the opposition. In the period of September 1 to 15, it reaped 326 councillors and only lost four to the opposition — two of them to Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats.
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/ 15 September 2004
Black economic empowerment company Akani Leisure Investments has taken over the Halcyon Hotels Group — which includes in its portfolio the prestigious Bay hotel and Blues restaurant in Camps Bay. The acquisition represents the first major empowerment transaction at the top end of the Western Cape hospitality industry.
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/ 14 September 2004
A new draft Bill, which will govern the tobacco industry, will grant the minister of health the power to issue regulations on the performance standard that all cigarettes sold in South Africa will have to meet, a top official told MPs on Tuesday. A cigarette will be required to ”self-extinguish after a few minutes if it is not puffed upon”.
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/ 14 September 2004
The government, led by Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, is set to carry on negotiations with public-sector unions on Tuesday evening, following a failure to reach agreement over Thursday’s threatened public-sector strike. The minister said the government is doing everything in its power to avert a strike.