The South African Football Players’ Union (Safpu) is devastated at the death of two former AmaZulu FC players, it said on Wednesday. Safpu spokesperson Elvis Sekgobela said the union was shocked at the death of Joe Mlaba and Japie Arries. ”Arries, who was a midfielder, died at the weekend … while Mlaba, who had a short illness, died this week,” said Sekgobela.
The prized wicket of New Zealand’s big-hitting Brendon McCullum just before stumps gave England a slight edge on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Wednesday. New Zealand ended the day at 282-6 after an 86-run partnership between McCullum and Ross Taylor had lifted them out of a middle-order hole.
SuperSport United cut Ajax Cape Town’s lead at the top of the Premier Soccer League to one point after a superb goal by Dane Klate gave the hosts a 3-2 victory over Ajax on Tuesday night. Kermit Erasmus scored his first goal for Matsatsantsa in the 23rd minute, but Nathan Paulse equalised six minutes later for the Cape club.
Northern Ireland’s largest Protestant party scrambled on Wednesday to secure a seamless transfer of power after its firebrand leader, Ian Paisley, announced his departure, drawing tributes from all sides. Paisley said on Tuesday he would step down as Democratic Unionist Party head in May.
Santos continued their fine form of late when they secured a 2-1 win over Wits at the Athlone Stadium on Tuesday night. Wits started the game brightly and had early chances through Noah Chivuta, but his long-range shots did not have the beating of Wayne Roberts.
The JSE widened its losses by midday on Wednesday as profit-taking and negative sentiment continued to dampen the market. By noon, the JSE’s broader all-share index declined 1,4%, led by a 2,72% pull back in the platinum-mining index. The gold-mining index retreated 2,71% and resources dipped 1,85%.
Students, security personnel and police engaged in running battles at Durban’s Mangosuthu University of Technology on Wednesday. Rubber bullets were used by university security personnel and the public-order policing unit to disperse about 500 protesting students at the Umlazi campus, south of Durban.
This is the week when Grahamstown’s Grocott’s Mail newspaper finalises legal papers to protest against an advertising boycott by the local city council. The case concerns the actions of four officials, who will now be diverting scarce municipal resources to defend the impending action.
Clashes between separatists and police sent to impose order in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s western Bas-Congo flared again on Tuesday, the official death toll rising to 22. Police began battling members of the Bundu dia Kongo movement in the town of Luozi, 200km west of Kinshasa on Friday.
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From ”uninspired and boring” to ”down to earth” and ”confident” were some of the varying opinions about African National Congress president Jacob Zuma expressed by members of the Jewish community on Tuesday night. Zuma was invited to speak at a forum on South Africa’s future, hosted by Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein.