Natasha Marrian
Marrian has built a reputation as an astute political journalist, investigative reporter and commentator. Until recently she led the political team at Business Day where she also produced a widely read column that provided insight into the political spectacle of the week.
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/ 18 October 2007

Sexwale: Freedom of expression is a right

Freedom of expression is a right South Africans should not have to ask for, businessman Tokyo Sexwale told a gathering at the Star’s 120th anniversary celebrations in Johannesburg on Wednesday. ”You have the right, you don’t have to ask for that right … you have won that right by being citizens of this country,” said Sexwale.

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/ 28 September 2007

Motata trial postponed

The drunken-driving trial of Pretoria High Court Judge Nkola Motata has been postponed to Tuesday to give his defence team time to consider its next move. Bantubonke Tokota told magistrate Desmond Nair on Friday that he and his colleagues wanted further consultation with experts on audio recordings that the state intended to present as evidence.

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/ 27 September 2007

Motata trial focuses on audio recordings

It was a day of wrangling over evidence in the drunken-driving trial of Judge Nkola Motata at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The court adjourned on Thursday afternoon after prosecutor Zaais van Zyl attempted to enter five recordings made by Baird on his cellphone, allegedly of Motata using derogatory language.

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/ 27 September 2007

Cellphone recordings discussed at Motata trial

The state would try to admit cellphone audio and video recordings in the drunk-driving trial of Pretoria High Court judge Nkola Motata being heard in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The recordings were made by Richard James Baird, into whose wall Motata allegedly crashed in Hurlingham, Johannesburg, on January 6.

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/ 19 September 2007

Sexual harassment on farms increasing, SAHRC hears

Sexual harassment on farms is on the increase and the victims are getting younger, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) heard on Wednesday. This was according to Claudia Lopes from Rural Education Awareness and Community Health (Reach), presenting at public hearings on the effectiveness of legislative and policy changes in farming communities.

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/ 29 August 2007

Review clears two Post Office officials

A draft post-forensic review has cleared the current acting chief executive of the South African Post Office and its financial director of any wrongdoing, the board of the parastatal said on Wednesday. Acting chief executive officer Motshoanetsi Lefoka and chief financial director Nick Buick were implicated in an initial investigation.