Staff Reporter
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/ 24 October 2006

Dyantyi turns down invite to meet Cape Town councillors

Provincial minister for local government and housing in the Western Cape, Richard Dyantyi, has turned down the city’s invitation to address the full Cape Town city council on Wednesday, according to a statement from Mayor Helen Zille’s office on Tuesday. Zille said he would have had the opportunity to provide substantive reasons for his proposed change of the system of governance in Cape Town.

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/ 24 October 2006

Mbeki: Kick-off time for World Cup plans

It is kick-off time for the ”real hard work” in preparing for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, President Thabo Mbeki told a workshop in Cape Town on Tuesday. He told the participants that South Africa will spare no effort to make sure that everything necessary for a successful tournament happens on time.

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/ 24 October 2006

Madiba magic for Banyana Banyana

National women’s soccer team Banyana Banyana met former president Nelson Mandela on Tuesday to get some his Madiba magic ahead of the fifth African Women’s championships in Nigeria. ”I wish the best team wins and I know you are the best team,” he told the players, shaking hands and joking with them in Johannesburg.

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/ 24 October 2006

UN pledges $300m in aid to Mozambique

The United Nations has pledged to provide about -million to fight poverty in Mozambique, which is slowly emerging from a brutal 16-year civil war. ”The UN will mobilise nearly -million for the government’s poverty reduction plan to help officials fight poverty in the next three years,” UN chief representative in Mozambique, resident Ndolamb Ngokwey, said late on Monday.

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/ 24 October 2006

Trade between Zimbabwe and China surges

Trade between Zimbabwe and its eastern ally China surged to -million last year and will be greater still this year, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday. Total trade volume for bilateral trade for the first eight months of 2006 reached -million according to a report carried by the Herald.

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/ 24 October 2006

High-occupancy lane seen as success

The Transport Department and Gauteng metro police on Monday night declared the first day of the pilot high-occupancy vehicle lane on the highway between Johannesburg and Pretoria a success, despite a rocky start. ”Considering it was the first day, it can’t go without hiccups but we are optimistic that it will work,” said a metro police spokesperson.

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/ 24 October 2006

In China, Big Brother is watching your manners

Thousands of extra video cameras are being installed on Beijing’s buses in an effort to improve public politeness ahead of the 2008 Olympics, state press said on Tuesday. The campaign is aimed at raising standards of courtesy in the capital, such as giving up bus seats to the elderly, children, pregnant women and the handicapped, Xinhua news agency said.

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/ 24 October 2006

Warne defends ageing Australia

Spin-king Shane Warne on Tuesday defended Australia’s ageing top-order batsmen and the form of fast bowler Glenn McGrath ahead of next month’s Ashes series against England. Australian fast-bowling legend Dennis Lillee said on Monday he feared the age of Australia’s top order batsmen would expose the home side to defeat in the much-anticipated clash.