Flowers for Deputy Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba’s wife were wrongfully bought from the department’s budget, a preliminary investigation into a newspaper’s allegations of corruption has found. On other allegations in the report, published on Friday, the investigation did not find wrongdoing on the part of the minister.
The death rate among newborn babies at East London’s main public hospital does not differ significantly from the national norm, President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday. In his weekly newsletter, he said ”neonatal mortality at Frere Hospital is not significantly different from the national incidence of such mortality”.
A court action opposing the construction of the new Green Point Stadium for the 2010 Soccer World Cup was postponed to an unspecified date by the Cape High Court on Friday. The action was brought by an environmental group, the Cape Town Environmental Protection Association.
They’re doing it in bed, in the bath and in the back of cars. America’s CrackBerry addiction has got worse. A survey by AOL and Opinion Research of 4 025 Americans over the age of 13 found that almost six out of 10 used their mobile email gadgets in bed.
Robert Mugabe’s former information chief says in an interview published on Saturday that the Zimbabwean president’s inner circle is afraid to get rid of him, despite current economic and political woes. Jonathan Moyo told the Financial Times in London there is little chance of Mugabe being overthrown or replaced.
Zimbabwe’s main trade union said on Friday that police were guilty of attempted murder when they beat dozens of protestors earlier this week. About 150 members of the pro-democracy National Constitutional Assembly had to be hospitalised after police arrested and beat them on Wednesday, reports said on Friday.
Frenchman Sandy Casar won the 18th stage of the Tour de France, a 211km ride from Cahors on Friday. The Francaise des Jeux rider outsprinted Belgian Axel Merckx of the T-Mobile team at the end of a 196km breakaway. France’s Laurent Lefevre came home third for the Bouygues Telecom team.
The police believe they have struck a blow against ATM bombers following arrests in the North West and KwaZulu-Natal, police said on Friday. Police spokesperson Director Sally de Beer said that on Wednesday North West police arrested six men who were linked to four cases involving explosions at ATMs in the province during July.
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi says there is not a ”shred of evidence” to support the contention he gave instructions to members of his party to commit ”murder and destruction” in KwaZulu-Natal during the late 1980s. Responding to a Sunday Times column, he said on Friday he could not ignore certain ”serious charges” made against him.
The Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa on Friday denied a looming ban on food imports into Zimbabwe, but said permits will be required to import bulk foodstuffs for resale. ”There are no new regulations coming into effect on August 1 pertaining to this subject as has been pronounced by various media. It’s business as usual,” said ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo.