Honourable representatives, esteemed ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen of the press, and our young visitors from Mammy Jubilation’s Old Timey Kindergarten up yonder in the cheap seats; welcome to this session of the United Nations General Assembly, my first as Secretary General.
A group of men armed with rifles and pistols robbed a Coin security van collecting money at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) head offices in Auckland Park on Friday, Johannesburg police said. Police spokesperson Captain Bheki Mavundla said a white Ford Bantam bakkie was seen pulling up behind the security van at 11.15am inside the public broadcaster’s complex.
Fidentia’s collapse had further repercussions in the Cape High Court on Friday when two closely linked companies were also placed under curatorship. The court granted a provisional order placing Ovation Global Investment Services and Ovation Global Investment Nominees under curatorship.
Mozambican marines rescued more than 1Â 700 people, including 900 children, from flooding in central Mozambique on Friday. The marines used eight boats to mount the rescue operation in the central town of Buzi in the province of Sofala, where at least 28Â 000 people have been affected by the floods.
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has challenged the South African business sector to partner the government in improving the performance of other African economies through meaningful investment. He said South African business needed to be more active in issues of African development.
A three-day pan-African conference adopted the Ekurhuleni Declaration on Fighting Corruption at a venue near OR Tambo International Airport, east of Johannesburg, on Friday. The declaration will contribute to Africa’s input to the Global Forum V, scheduled to be held in Sandton next month.
Transport Minister Jeff Radebe avoided contentious issues during his first public event as acting health minister on Friday. Opening the newly built Pretoria Academic Hospital, Radebe focused on programmes to improve hospital infrastructure around the country.
Thousands of Palestinians rallied in Gaza City in support of Islamic Jihad on Friday, setting fire to Israeli and United States flags as the radical Islamists vowed to make more attacks on the Jewish state. ”Talk about a ceasefire is premature because our priority must remain resistance,” Islamic Jihad leader Nafiz Azzam told the gathered masses.
South Africa, now in its first ”teenager” year, has to abide by the tried and tested values in the Constitution to weather the turbulent years ahead successfully, former president FW de Klerk said on Friday. Addressing a conference at Sun City, he said 2007 might well determine the future for the next 30 or 40 years.
The leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) in Khutsong denied claims on Friday by the Khutsong Anti-North West Forum that the party was divided about the incorporation of the town into the North West. ”As the ANC we are united in Merafong about the decision to support the government’s initiative,” said the party’s sub-regional secretary, Sanele Caiya.