Staff Reporter
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/ 1 February 2008

Zuma reduces claims against media

A host of defamation claims lodged by the African National Congress president Jacob Zuma against several publications were on Friday slashed to ”approximately R12-million”, a spokesperson for Zuma said. Liesl Göttert said: ”Mr Jacob Zuma will instruct his media legal team to drop the defamation component of all media claims that he instituted against some media.”

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/ 1 February 2008

Sars simplifies VAT registration

Value-Added Tax (VAT) registration would be easier from this month, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said on Friday. Sars said the new VAT-registration process reduced the paperwork required for registration and provided for the instant issuing of VAT registration numbers over the counter at Sars branches.

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/ 1 February 2008

US state weighs gun lessons for schoolchildren

West Virginia is considering a Bill to teach schoolchildren how to handle a gun and hunt safely. Its proponent hopes this will increase state revenues from hunting licences, a state lawmaker said on Thursday. "We will teach a hunting safety course during their physical education class," state Senator and Bill sponsor Billy Wayne Bailey said.

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/ 1 February 2008

London drunk driver admits killing SA rugby fan

A drunk driver on Friday admitted killing a South African rugby fan who was heading home in London after celebrating his team beating England in the World Cup final. Jimmy Kateende (28), from New Malden in south-west London, admitted causing the death of Hugh Morton by driving without due care and attention while under the influence of alcohol.

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/ 1 February 2008

Zille takes issue with SA’s ‘declining education’

As long as the government’s priority remains affirmative action instead of quality education, delivery problems such as the current electricity crisis will be unavoidable, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Friday. Zille said the many delivery challenges faced by South Africa could only be resolved if the country’s education system improved.

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/ 1 February 2008

Church leaders outraged at police raid

Church leaders expressed shock and outrage on Friday at a police raid this week on the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg, during which hundreds of immigrants were arrested. Eddie Makue, general secretary of the South African Council of Churches, said for many years the Church had welcomed those who had been displaced.