Tens of millions of rands of Lotto money earmarked for charities and good causes is lying undistributed in the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. Over a 100 non-profit organisations were affected, DA social development spokesperson Janet Semple told a parliamentary media briefing.
As the state wrapped up its case in the Najwa Petersen murder trial on Monday, Najwa’s advocate said no decision had been taken on whether she would testify in her own defence. ”I’ve still to consult with Mrs Petersen,” said senior counsel Klaus von Lieres und Wilkau. ”We will make up our minds in the course of the coming week.”
Africa’s biggest transport and logistics company, Imperial Holdings, said on Monday it was considering a merger of its Regent Life and Regent Insurance companies. ”A merger would enhance the growth prospects and operational synergies of these businesses …,” the company said in a statement.
An angry mob shot dead two people and injured at least 40 in suspected xenophobic attacks in Alexandra township on the weekend, Johannesburg police said on Monday. ”They threw stones at these people, shot at them, whipped some of them with sjamboks and robbed them,” said Inspector Moses Maphakela.
Travelgate MP Mnyami Booi has been granted a postponement of his trial, which was to have started in the Cape Town Regional Court last week. The postponement is to allow him to use the services of his advocate of choice, senior counsel Jan Heunis, who is not available now.
I am happy that Jacob Zuma now knows that there are poor whites among us. It augurs well for all of us when (it increasingly appears to be ”when” and not ”if”) he becomes our next president. You might wonder why his communist friends did not alert him to this reality earlier. Better late than never, I guess.
The Canterbury Crusaders wrapped up top spot going into the Super 14 play-offs but the battle for the remaining three berths stayed wide open after the penultimate round over the weekend. With one game to play, six teams hold a mathematical chance of joining the Crusaders in the semifinals.
All Black coach Graham Henry is planning to stick with experienced players for next month’s Tests against Ireland and England despite the defection of some high profile candidates overseas. Henry also backed the New Zealand Rugby Union’s policy of picking only domestically-based players for the All Blacks.
Former Wallaby Wendell Sailor on Monday signed with National Rugby League team St George Illawarra after completing a two-year ban for drug use. The 33-year-old was dealt the ban after after testing positive for cocaine while playing rugby union for the New South Wales Waratahs in 2006.
The sun had not long set into the Mediterranean and the fishing launch was motoring out into the rolling sea, only an hour into what was to be a long night spent in search of shoals of sardine. Without warning, a sudden burst of machine gun fire came rattling a few metres overhead, the red tracer bullets arcing into the night sky above the fishermen.