A massive row is brewing between the Joe Slovo squatter community and the government after a Cape Town professor found the presence of the lethal crocidolite asbestos in material similar to that used to build the walls of temporary houses in Delft — a suburb outside Cape Town where government wants to move this 25 000-strong community.

On May 30 2005, the day judgement was handed down in Schabir Shaik’s trial, Jacob Zuma flew to Zambia on an official visit. Now, as Zuma canters towards the ANC presidency, the rest of the continent is watching developments within the ANC with varying degrees of interest. Zuma, was the first leader to visit President Robert Mugabe after his controversial win in Zimbabwe’s 2002 presidential election.

Popo Molefe, a trustee of African National Congress (ANC) funding vehicle Chancellor House, conceded this week that the issue of the ruling party benefiting from state contracts needed to be debated. The Mail & Guardian revealed last week that Chancellor House Holdings, a company set up by the ANC to seek profits on its behalf, would benefit from one of South Africa’s largest state tenders yet.

Tiger Brands chief executive Nick Dennis could be in hot water if allegations that he misled the Competition Commission during its investigation into bread price-fixing are true. Commission head Shan Ramburuth says a full investigation will take place and if it is proved that Dennis knew about the price-fixing he could face criminal charges and Tiger Brands could face tougher financial penalties.

Next week the cream of the world’s best negotiators will converge on the tropical paradise of Bali to discuss how to save the world. They are not likely to be dressed in superman capes, but may be wearing Armani suits in the tropical heat and their weapons of choice will be briefcases packed with their countries’ position papers.

Two weeks after telling the Mail & Guardian that he would be framed or assassinated, the man at the centre of the “hoax email” trial was arrested on Thursday for allegedly attempting to murder his son. Muzi Kunene was apprehended by police at his Ballito home in KwaZulu-Natal after allegedly shooting his 24-year-old son in the back of the head.

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) communications head Dasarath Chetty’s attempts to prove that he was defamed have been squashed in court again. Last week the Grahamstown High Court dismissed Chetty’s appeal against the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court’s rejection in March of his defamation suit against fellow sociologist Jimi Adesina, a professor at Rhodes University.

Poor leadership in the national executive committee of the ANC Women’s League as well as a surge of ”careerism” in its ranks are to blame for the 11th-hour switch in the league’s allegiance to support ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma, ANC insiders said. Although the NEC was convinced it could unite the league’s vote behind President Thabo Mbeki, it did not do the necessary work to convince the provinces to follow its lead.