Armed with pistols and hair-trigger tempers, South Africa’s minibus taxi drivers are the undisputed kings of road rage, swerving through traffic and ignoring red lights as nervous motorists get out of the way. In a country struggling to prove its crime-ridden streets are safe before the 2010 Soccer World Cup, drivers often get caught up in gangland-style turf battles.
Zimbabwe on Thursday rejected the need for political reform in the Southern African nation at a summit of regional leaders that is meant to find ways to ease the country’s political and economic crisis. Southern African Development Community leaders met to consider the crisis in Zimbabwe but the prospects for progress looked slim.
President Thabo Mbeki’s dismissal of his respected deputy health minister has handed political ammunition to critics who accuse him of purging opponents as he tries to hold on to political power. Mbeki, facing a fierce battle to maintain leadership of his ruling party, sacked Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge for insubordination, sparking a public outcry.
South Africans may hope the ruling African National Congress (ANC) finds new ways to fight social ills at its conference this week, but any policy debate will likely be overshadowed by a succession battle that has plunged the party into turmoil. Analysts say they expect closed-door meetings to focus on forming alliances ahead of a congress in December that will choose a new leader for the party.
South African President Thabo Mbeki is facing mounting threats to his widely perceived plan to retain influence after he stands down as head of state. The presidential succession debate has already plunged the African National Congress (ANC) into some of its worst factional turmoil.
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A South African court on Tuesday granted the state permission to obtain documents from Mauritius which prosecutors want for a possible new corruption case against ex-deputy president Jacob Zuma. The Durban High Court decision could be a blow to the resilient and controversial politician.
Sudanese officials working to finalise a deal on United Nations support for the African Union mission in Darfur have recommended Khartoum permit the use of attack helicopters by peacekeepers, the Foreign Ministry said. ”They have made a positive recommendation and it is now up to the leadership,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ali al-Sadig.
Chad said it routed a major rebel attack launched from Sudan on Monday to destabilise its government, but Khartoum accused Chad’s army of killing 17 of its troops and threatened a strong response. The accusations marked a deterioration in the volatile relations between the two neighbours, marred by violence spilling across the frontier of Sudan’s Darfur region.
Former Sudanese rebels warned on Tuesday that a peace agreement signed last year is in danger of collapsing if the government rejects its demands following clashes that killed at least 10 people. Eight members of rebel group the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and two Sudanese police officers were killed in the clashes on Saturday in the city of Omdurman.
Shinta had always dreamed of becoming a policewoman in South Africa, a public servant who could take on some of the world’s most dangerous criminals. Now, three years after proudly putting on her uniform, she never patrols the streets alone for fear of being carjacked and is looking for another job.