Sexuality is about creativity and self-expression, and alternative sexualities should be celebrated, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said on Thursday. ”You should love who you are,” Tutu said in a film-clip message at the opening of the yearly Out in Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Rosebank, Johannesburg.
Four air-crew members have survived a South African Air Force helicopter crash outside the Bergview Engen One-Stop in Harrismith on Friday morning, emergency services said. The helicopter crashed about 100m from the complex. ”One blade hit a car on the freeway and spun into the complex where there were about 60 kids in the playground,” a witness said.
Work remained suspended on Friday at DRDGold’s North West Operations’ number-two shaft on Friday, a company spokesperson said. Operations were stopped after an earth tremor earlier this week. Last week, two people died at the company’s Stilfontein mine after an earthquake measuring 5,3 on the Richter scale.
Eight people were injured when they jumped from a moving train to flee the current from an electricity cable that fell on to a carriage in Germiston on Friday. Emergency services spokesperson Johan van der Heever said the cable made contact with the body of the train after a malfunction in the overhead system.
Economic statistics surveys released by Statistics South Africa will now include two million more businesses, the organisation said on Friday. ”Our economic surveys will now include two million more businesses which are registered as tax income units,” Stats SA head Pali Lehohla told reporters in Pretoria.
The Queensland Reds beat the Waikato Chiefs 20-6 in Super 12 rugby on Friday, snapping a three-game losing streak and winning their first match in New Zealand since 1999. Winger Drew Mitchell and prop Greg Holmes scored first-half tries, while Julian Huxley kicked two conversions and two penalties for Queensland.
Russian third seed Maria Sharapova advanced to her first Indian Wells WTA/ATP Masters Series semifinal on Thursday, beating Mary Pierce of France 6-4, 6-3, to extend her match-winning streak to 11 games. Her victory set up a clash with American top seed Lindsay Davenport, who continued her domination over France’s Nathalie Dechy.
Ferrari boss Jean Todt has tipped the world champions to bounce back from a poor start to the season and retain their constructors’ crown by the end of the year. The Italian team chose to start the season with a modified version of their old car and found themselves outpaced by their rivals.
AUTHOR’S NOTES: ”I am out there to mike what I like and, frankly, you don’t have to like what I mike.” Poet Kgafela oa Magogodi released his latest collection of poetry and prose last week. He shares a few words with ZA@Play.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Friday said that the recently announced closure of clothing manufacturer Rex Trueform’s Salt River plant threatened to put another 1Â 000 people out of work in the Western Cape and bring the clothing, textile and leather industries one step closer to complete collapse.