Although crime levels were lower, most South Africans thought crime was on the increase and had lower confidence in the police, said a survey by the Institute for Security Studies. ”Since 1998 house breaking and burglary has been the most common crimes that South Africans report,” said researcher Antoinette Louw.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi accused a ”corrupt” government of failing to manage the country’s oil wealth and ordered it to hand out oil money directly to the country’s five million people. Western diplomats said the call, late on Wednesday, appeared aimed at putting pressure on the government to speed up reforms.
It is still six times less safe to fly in Africa than the rest of the world, the annual safety report by the International Air Transport Association on Thursday showed. The report illustrated that the 2007 global accident rate of 0,75 hull-losses for every million flights by Western-built jet aircraft was slightly higher than the 0,65 rate recorded in 2006.
Bones collected from an Eastern Cape farm suspected to be that of the Pebco Three will be examined, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Thursday. The NPA said it found around 12kg of bone material, identified out of 250kg of burnt material.
Presidency Director General Frank Chikane made conflicting statements about his treatment at the hands of the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), the Ginwala commission heard on Thursday. Chikane earlier told the hearing into whether suspended National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli was fit to hold office, that he had been treated badly by the NDPP.
Power cuts in the winter months ahead are unlikely if the present power-saving trends continue, according to Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin. The overall savings target remains 10%, and the key factor is the behavioural changes that are crucial in the short-term, he told a media briefing at Parliament on Thursday.
Salaries should increase on average by about 11,8% in 2008, an employment report released on Thursday shows. ”Higher inflation makes for high salary increases,” said economist Mike Schussler, who compiled the report for the United Association of South Africa trade union.
At least 40 potential buyers have expressed an interest in Nationwide, the airline’s provisional liquidators, Alta-Tshwane Trust, said on Thursday. In a statement, the trust said the potential buyers had all insisted on full financial and operational information on the company.
A British company developing a non-stick chewing gum that can be easily removed from pavements and shoes has raised £10-million (-million) to help bring its product to market. Revolymer’s new Clean Gum is the result of polymer research at the University of Bristol, where the company was created as a research spin-out in 2005.
Speeding drivers in south China are getting clear away thanks to machines which switch the numbers on their licence plates in seconds, state media said on Tuesday. ”More than 50% of cars caught on camera for speeding and other offences either cover up their plates or use a fake licence plate,” said a policeman.