The deft way in which Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to ensure he remains in power even after he has left the presidency will ensure that Ukraine remains a recurring theme in United States- Russian rivalry. Its role in this geopolitical contest lessens further still the likelihood that the parliamentary elections will resolve the long-running power struggle between the president, Viktor Yushchenko, and the prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych.
The announcement last week that the Department of Arts and Culture has received a qualified audit report from Auditor General Terence Nombembe has been met with alarm from the parliamentary opposition and silence from within the department itself. In the first qualified audit finding in five years, the Auditor General has written: ”An unexplained difference of R13 415 189 exists between the asset register and the amount disclosed in the financial statements.”
More than half of South Africa’s maths and science teachers are underqualified, but imminent changes in the education system are set to create an even bigger deficit in qualified instructors, making it more difficult to improve maths and science results for learners.
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Boeremag accused Mike du Toit on Thursday told the Pretoria High Court he did not trust the state or police because he believed they were controlled by former terrorists. Du Toit, a Herstigte Nasionale Party supporter, said not only did he and many others distrust the police, he also believed the African National Congress government was behind farm attacks and murders.
The outcome of a Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) central executive committee meeting held to discuss the fate of its beleaguered president, Willie Madisha, will be announced on Friday. Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said a statement would be issued but he would not be drawn out on the meeting held at Cosatu House on Thursday.
Two undersea earthquakes over 2 500km apart and measuring up to 6,3 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia on Thursday, but no tsunami warnings were triggered, seismologists said. The first quake in the northern Aceh province was rated by the national meteorological agency at a magnitude of 6,3 on the Richter scale.
Whether it costs the Makana municipality two cents or R100-million to change the name of Grahamstown and the names of other places and landmarks, the names will change, said Grahamstown mayor Phumelelo Kate on Thursday. ”You cannot equate the transformation of our country to costs. Change must happen and nothing is going to stop it,” Kate was reported as saying.
A former boyfriend of murdered teenager Samantha Uys on Thursday told the Pretoria High Court that one of her alleged killers had confessed his role in the gruesome murder to him. Joshua Bebington testified in the trial of his two friends, Kabelo ”KB” Mokwena and Ricky ”Slash” Godfrey.
A Chilean judge on Thursday ordered the arrest of the widow and five children of late dictator Augusto Pinochet as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption, judicial sources said. Judge Carlos Cerda also ordered the arrest of several retired military officers from the Pinochet era.