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/ 11 January 2008

They’ll be coming round –

Scrabbling around in rock pools in search of treasure at the end of the African continent is a treat for any kid — even if the treasure comprises flotsam and jetsam washed up on the shores around Cape Point. The grade five and six pupils from Lehlohonolo Primary School in Guguletu emerge holding twisted pieces of kelp, perlemoen shells, cuttlefish bones, gull feathers, barnacle-encrusted rocks and the odd smelly marine object.

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/ 11 January 2008

Facing the media pack

When he went down from Oxford for the Christmas holiday Bilawal Bhutto was just another undergraduate fresher, posting his picture at a Halloween party on Facebook. Recently, on his return to Britain, the chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party was mobbed by journalists and camera crews at a heaving London press conference.

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/ 11 January 2008

Is it the kiss of death?

Gaining notoriety as the “kissing law”, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 has, in recent weeks, sparked teen outrage and threats of pubescent petting protests. In an attempt to safeguard children against sexual abuse, legislators have provoked widespread fury from teens who believe that their rights are being infringed by a misguided attempt to stymie their natural sexual development and exploration.

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/ 11 January 2008

Swiss Army Knife makers branch out

It was the flip-open tool of the 20th century, but the Swiss Army Knife fell out of favour as cellphones and MP3 players vied for pocket space. Now from their base in what is popularly known as Swiss Army Knife Valley in central Switzerland, its makers are fighting back with a range of products carrying the iconic brand as well as the creation of a flagship store in New York.

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/ 11 January 2008

Mbete to Zuma’s rescue

The appointment of ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete to run the political committee in Parliament will be the first step in winning over ANC MPs to support the quest to defend ANC president Jacob Zuma. Mbete will replace Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, who is the current chairperson of this powerful committee.

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/ 11 January 2008

Hospitals face R1bn claim

Private hospitals in South Africa could be facing demands to repay about R1-billion they allegedly charged medical schemes over the past three years for overpriced theatre gases that were not used on patients. Trustees of the medical schemes were reminded that they could be held accountable if they fail to retrieve any funds that were paid erroneously to hospitals.

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/ 11 January 2008

How the weird turned pro

”When the going gets weird,” the late father of gonzo journalism Hunter S Thompson once wrote, ”the weird turns pro”. On Wednesday Thompson’s words came to life in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, where Gauteng Scorpions head Gerrie Nel was granted bail of R10 000 he was arrested, handcuffed and detained on two to five charges — depending on who you ask.

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/ 11 January 2008

Quality control

Can a quality school be created in a poverty-stricken area? Is it possible when school fees are R50 a year? The answer is: ”Yes!” Many schools in informal settlements are giving learners an excellent education. These schools have a guiding principle: quality.

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/ 11 January 2008

Delhi’s controversial clean-up

When Baldev Singh arrived to open his car parts showroom last September he found not customers but officials from Delhi’s municipal council at his doorstep. Part of a drive to clean up Delhi in advance of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Singh was forced to close his business — sacking 12 of his staff. Officials told him that zoning laws, previously ignored, were now to be zealously enforced.