Two days is ample time for people to get their tax returns in order, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) said on Wednesday, in advance of Friday’s deadline. ”Sars offices around the country are also extending their office hours,” Sars spokesperson Sechaba Nkosi said in a statement.
With anger mounting that Saddam Hussein has not been charged over his invasion of and use of chemical weapons against Iran, MPs called on Wednesday for the ousted Iraqi dictator to stand before an international court. ”The crimes of Saddam go beyond the national Iraqi framework,” said a statement.
Four more football referees were arrested in Gauteng on Wednesday as part of the police’s ongoing crackdown on match fixing, police spokesperson senior superintendent Selby Bokaba said. Three were Premier Soccer League (PSL) referees and the fourth was a retired referee connected with the Vodacom league.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela is to address a major international Aids conference in Bangkok, Thailand, next week.
The finalisation of a $400-million debt and equity arrangement for the Moma titanium minerals project in the Nampula Province on the north eastern coast of Mozambique will provide a major boost to the South African government’s commitment to the sustainable development of the African region.
The JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) was in positive territory in noon trade on Wednesday despite a recovery in the rand. Dealers said that offshore buying was buoying the bourse, which was fairly quiet. At 11.57am, the all-share and all-share industrial indices were up 0,34% and 0,32% respectively.
The Democratic challenger, John Kerry, reached out to America’s heartland on Tuesday, choosing as his vice-presidential candidate a charismatic mill worker’s son who embodies Southern charm. The choice of John Edwards, a dazzling performer on the campaign trail, was made public at a rally in Pittsburgh, after weeks of feverish speculation.
President Thomas Klestil, who died overnight on Tuesday, is to receive a state funeral in the capital Vienna on Saturday, his office announced on Wednesday. Klestil died late on Tuesday aged 71 after suffering a heart attack only two days before he was due to leave office. He had served as head of state for 12 years.
The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has awarded Russia a two-year, $34,2- million grant for treatment.
When culture meets media, interesting things happen. A provincial premier gets pictured in bed; a bunch of fortysomething journos stage a reunion; and innovative publishing technology gets deployed. It’s festival time in Grahamstown again — the 30th edition of an event that’s always like a first time. But there’s a whole lot more going on this time.