A woman told the Scottburgh High Court on Wednesday she ”didn’t feel like” she was part of her own body as a man raped her on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The woman, who may not be identified, said: ”I didn’t feel like I was a part of my body. I wasn’t there. When something like that happens, you switch off.” The student was the second victim to testify at the trial.
Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader said on Wednesday a government price freeze was unsustainable and had left inflation-battered consumers worse off. Zimbabweans have struggled to buy basic commodities since President Robert Mugabe’s government ordered businesses to cut their prices to mid-June levels in a bid to rein in inflation.
Rural fires that blazed for weeks in South Africa killed at least 26 people, marking the worst loss of life from such infernos since the 1980s, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday. Ten deaths have been confirmed in Mpumalanga and 16 in KwaZulu-Natal, where veld and forest fires broke out on July 2.
The African Union, whose contingent of peacekeepers has struggled to restore stability in Darfur over the past three years, voiced relief on Wednesday at the decision by the United Nations to send troops to the war-torn western Sudanese region. The resolution authorises the deployment of a robust 26 000-strong contingent.
Angry Newcastle supporters have attacked Kieron Dyer’s car and house after the midfielder made it clear he wants to leave the club. The England international was booed when he appeared as a substitute in Sunday’s friendly win over Juventus, and fans then verbally abused Dyer and banged on the windows of his car as he left the ground after the match.
British Airways (BA) was hit with almost £270-million in fines on Wednesday as it reached settlements with United States and United Kingdom authorities for price-fixing on fuel surcharges. Archrival Virgin Atlantic Airways blew the whistle on BA last year after individuals at the two carriers discussed proposed changes to fuel surcharges for long flights.
Four prison officials have been dismissed for serious misconduct and another resigned after they were seen taking bribes, prison authorities said on Wednesday. The Correctional Services Department said video footage gathered for the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s Special Assignment showed them accepting bribes.
Vigilante farmer patrols do not control the Zimbabwe-South African border, Limpopo police said on Wednesday. The statement came after a Sky News report into vigilantism against border-crossing aired earlier this week. The report apparently showed South African farmers capturing Zimbabweans trying to cross the border.
The United Nations food agency on Wednesday appealed for -million in expanded food aid for Zimbabwe and pledged to assist about 3,3-million starving citizens of that country. Zimbabwe is in the throes of a chronic economic crisis with the world’s highest rate of inflation and four in every five people jobless.
South African companies are beginning to follow their international counterparts in blocking workers’ access to popular social-networking site Facebook. They cite concerns over productivity, but some experts defend the site, saying it holds huge potential as a business tool.