Even as a crane hoisted away the concrete slabs around the Israeli army’s checkpoint into Jericho on Wednesday, soldiers were still waving down drivers for inspection. By the end of the day, the paraphernalia of the roadblock was gone along with the Israeli flags. But the troops remained.
The African National Congress is presenting a unified front on the March 31 elections in Zimbabwe, but behind the scenes there is increasing debate in the ruling party about how to deal with the political and economic crisis north of the Limpopo. Many in the ANC are increasingly uncomfortable with the approach of the government and the party.
The truth is out at last. Those most affected by that truth cannot read this editorial, but there is at least reason to believe officialdom is about to act on the national emergency of adult illiteracy. The 11th year of our democracy is late in the day for the national government to have noticed that about 40% of South African adults — eight million to 10-million people — cannot read or write, and so face bleak futures.
With 2005 being World Year of Physics, this particular field of science is being celebrated in style by some international physicists of note at this year’s Sasol SciFest. Among them are Professor Neil Turok, Wendy Sadler and Dr Tanya Lake.
A lot of the Dorsbult regulars lost interest in popular music when Perry Como retired, so when somebody called Mel Botes assured us this week in a television advert that he’d be performing at the 46664 concert in Fancourt, the manne didn’t have a clue who he was. A quick web search revealed him to be a jazz muso; but not before it demonstrated a funky penchant for literary ad-libbing.
Nearly 20 000 people could lose their jobs in the next two months, trade union Solidarity said on Thursday. Solidarity is currently negotiating with 25 companies against the retrenchment of 18 293 workers, mostly in the mining, chemical, telecommunications and metal industries.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has been mediating in the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire, has called all sides to an ”urgent meeting” this month in South Africa. ”This urgent meeting is to be held during the month of March,” though no specific date has been set as yet, said Amadou Coulibaly, an official in the Rally of Republicans opposition party.
A South African citizen appeared in a New York court on Wednesday on charges of smuggling and trying to sell weapons to the United States, The Star newspaper reported. Christiaan de Wet Spies (33) appeared along with 17 other alleged co-conspirators. They face up to 30 years’ imprisonment if found guilty.
Bands of marauding baboons in eastern Uganda are forcing parents to keep their children at home to guard crops, causing rampant absenteeism in the region’s primary schools, officials said on Wednesday. More than 85% of children in Uganda’s Busia district are staying home from school due primarily to the menace of the baboons.
Behaviour that undermines the image of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will not be tolerated, the SANDF said on Wednesday in response to allegations of misconduct by soldiers abroad. Four SANDF officers on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are under investigation for misconduct.