A perceived lack of credibility is the biggest challenge facing the SABC, says Kanyisiwe Mkonza, the newly appointed chairperson of the public broadcaster’s board, and she plans to tackle it head on. The past few years have been very difficult for the SABC, she says. She wants to take stock and get to the root of the problems.
A vaccine against HIV infection is one of the holy grails of research — and is proving almost as elusive. Late 2007 saw clinical trials of the world’s most advanced HIV vaccine, by pharmaceutical company Merck, brought to a premature end. Not only did the candidate vaccine fail to protect people against HIV, it might have increased their risk of infection.
Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher ground out an unbeaten 87-run partnership to enable South Africa to seize a slight advantage as the second day of the second Test against the West Indies developed into a war of attrition at Newlands on Thursday.
Mlungisi Sisulu, son of Max and Elinor Sisulu, died in London early on Thursday morning, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Departmental spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said Mlungisi, who was in his late 30s, died from a ”suspected illness” at 3am on Thursday.
The Attorney General on Thursday called for an independent probe into Kenya’s election after a day of battles in Nairobi between police and demonstrators disputing the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki. The opposition called off a rally in a central park, saying it wanted to save lives, after a day of fighting during which police fired live rounds in the air.
Pakistan’s opposition parties demanded better security on Thursday as the nation prepared for a lengthy campaign ahead of February 18 elections, a week after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The country’s main political parties confirmed they would resume the race to restore democracy but said the government must ensure candidates are protected.
There has been no improvement in overall service quality in the City of Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday. No significant improvement had been seen in respect of billing, housing, the metro police, the council call centre and the metro buses, said the DA’s Mike Moriarty when presenting the party’s annual report card.
The main faction of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Thursday vowed to boycott presidential and legislative polls in March if the nation’s Constitution was not overhauled. Mugabe has said that elections will be held in March and that the opposition would only have themselves to blame if they do not adequately campaign.
Well-known KwaZulu-Natal birder Robin Guy (75) was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on Wednesday night. He and his wife, from Underberg, had been in Johannesburg on a festive-season visit when two robbers disturbed a dinner on the verandah of his brother-in-law’s home, Guy’s journalist son, Duncan, said on Thursday.
Lawrence Dallaglio has announced his England retirement with immediate effect and intends to end his club career at the end of the current northern hemisphere season. Number eight Dallaglio made the last of his 85 England appearances during October’s World Cup final defeat against South Africa in Paris.