If it were up to Minister of Arts and Culture Pallo Jordan, the potential of South Africa’s music industry would be felt all over the world. His strong belief in the cultural sector was shared with those present at the opening of the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition 2007 at MuseuMAfricA in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Solidarity has declared a dispute with Telkom about the company’s interpretation of a 2006 wage agreement, the trade union said on Wednesday. ”Telkom’s interpretation of the wage agreement concluded with Solidarity in 2006 deprives workers of part of their remuneration,” Solidarity said.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday officially wrote to President Thabo Mbeki asking him to fire Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. It cited Tshabalala-Msimang’s obsession with good nutrition as a substitute for proper HIV/Aids treatment as one of the reasons she should be fired.
A former Iraqi lawmaker gave chilling testimony of torture and beatings at the trial on Wednesday of 15 aides of executed dictator Saddam Hussein, including the notorious ”Chemical Ali”, who are accused of crimes against humanity. ”I heard screams of pain as prisoners were beaten and tortured,” the witness said.
Efforts by media lawyers to obtain access to documents relating to former National Intelligence Agency boss Billy Masetlha amounted to a ”fishing expedition”, a Constitutional Court judge said on Wednesday. ”With respect, does this not come close to a fishing expedition?” Judge Dikgang Moseneke asked.
India’s National Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi met former South African president Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Foundation on Wednesday. Gandhi said she was honoured to be meeting Mandela. ”It is a privilege — a visit to South Africa wouldn’t be complete without calling on Madiba,” she said.
The new chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, is prioritising the setting up of a free trade area (FTA) by next year, reports said on Wednesday. As the dust settles after a hectic SADC summit, Trade and Commerce Minister Felix Mutat has placed the establishment of the FTA on top of the agenda.
The South African Medical Association (Sama) said on Wednesday that the ”whistle-blowing” on the part of a doctor at East London’s Frere Hospital was an ethical and responsible intervention. Professor Denise White, acting chairperson of Sama, said investigations were needed to establish whether or not the rights of patients had been further violated.
A new set of photographs appeared to cast doubt on testimony by a senior police forensics expert in the Inge Lotz murder trial on Wednesday. The photographs were produced by the defence when Superintendent Stef Koekemoer, manager of the national fingerprint laboratory in Pretoria, was recalled to the stand for more questioning.
The N1 highway southbound near the John Vorster Avenue offramp in Centurion was re-opened to traffic on Wednesday after a toxic spill, Tshwane metro police said. Spokesperson Louise Britz said drivers had listened to radio reports advising the use of alternative routes and so there was no traffic back-up.