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/ 5 November 2006
As summer descends on Cape Town, visitors and locals are swapping bikinis for ponchos at the coastal city’s latest and undoubtedly coolest attraction — a cocktail lounge made entirely of ice. Sixty tonnes of frozen water have been used to construct the Ice Lounge in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront complex.
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/ 22 October 2006
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is expected this week to enlarge the 2010 Soccer World Cup budget pie and apportion slices to government departments and host cities when he presents his mid-year ”mini-budget” on Wednesday. Businesses and individuals will also be looking for an indication of tax cuts further down the line.
Cape Town, the undisputed star of South Africa’s tourist industry, is flaunting its majestic mountains and white beaches in a bid to play a leading role in international movie-making. Hollywood may also have its hills and ocean surf, but the sheer cost of shooting in tinsel town means that producers on a tight budget are having to look further and wider to find their ideal location.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s voice of conscience during apartheid, is once more at odds with authority over the moral direction of the country as he approaches his 75th birthday. Ten years on from his retirement as archbishop of Cape Town, the indefatigable cleric has lost none of his ability to make those in power squirm as he points out their shortcomings.
Ducks, wasps and beetles are pioneer viticulturalist Johnathan Grieve’s insect killers of choice in his goal of creating one of South Africa’s first entirely organic wine farms. A flock of about 40 ducks patrol Avondale, Grieve’s farm in the Paarl area of the fertile Cape winelands, daily picking snails off the precious vines.
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/ 21 September 2006
A shy smile creeps up the hardened face of 17-year-old street child Siyabonga Mkhize as he proclaims proudly: ”I am playing soccer for South Africa!” He is one of about 500 people from nearly 50 countries taking part in the fourth Homeless Football World Cup, starting in Cape Town this weekend in an organised attempt to transform their lives.
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/ 17 September 2006
Refugees who fled war-torn Somalia in search of safety and a better life in South Africa now fear becoming the next victims in a string of murders of their compatriots in the Cape peninsula. ”I ran from the bullet to find violence here,” said Malyun Aden, who ran a clothing store at Masiphumelele, near Cape Town, until it was trashed in mob attacks last month.
The South African government on Wednesday acknowledged that it has a major problem in tackling the country’s crime rate ahead of hosting the next Soccer World Cup in 2010. Lawmakers were told during a briefing on preparations for the tournament that a detailed survey of crime-fighting technology is under way in a bid to allay fears.
Former president Nelson Mandela has taken a neutral public stance on reports that businessman Cyril Ramaphosa has his eye on the presidency of the African National Congress. ”Madiba will remain entirely impartial in this matter,” his spokesperson Zelda la Grange said on Monday, referring to Mandela by his clan name.
The Cape Town city council will prepare for Green Point to host a 2010 Soccer World Cup semifinal match in the hope that the national government will deliver on its financial promises. ”We accept in good faith the national government’s commitment to these costs, but we need to know for sure before we sign the final contracts,” mayor Helen Zille said on Thursday.