Nine homesteads were destroyed and four people injured as runaway veld fires swept through the Harrismith and Van Reenen’s Pass area on Monday, the Emnambithi/Ladysmith municipality said. Some residents had to run for their lives, radio news reported. The fires and poor visibility were worst in the Swinburne and Montrose areas near Van Reenen’s Pass.
State-owned arms manufacturer Denel continued to make losses in the past financial year, but according to chief executive Shaun Liebenberg, the losses have dropped to a mere R500-million from R1,3-billion a year ago. Nevertheless, the group’s auditors cast doubt on the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The mother of four must have agonised as the wall of flames swept through the heavily forested mountain toward her holiday home in southern Greece — should she flee the approaching fire or not? If she had stayed at home, neighbours say the family would have survived. Her single-storey house was virtually unscathed by the fires.
Pole-vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva won gold on Tuesday but failed in a world record attempt, as Kenyan runners held sway on the track at the World Athletics Championships. Kenya’s formidable men’s 3 000 m steeplechasers toyed with the opposition before delivering the expected clean sweep.
Eskom and Sasol are among the companies that will be reporting under the carbon disclosure project in 2007. South Africa is the first developing nation, alongside Brazil, to participate, says a report by global wildlife fund WWF released recently.
”Eskom will in all likelihood rate as the highest greenhouse gas producing company to report from any country, with 200million tons of carbon dioxide per year, compared to Shell’s 105million tons.
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United States football star Michael Vick pleaded guilty and publicly apologised on Monday for his role in a dog-fighting case that will land him in jail and already has prompted his suspension from the sport. Standing ramrod straight, Vick said ”guilty” when asked by US District Judge Henry Hudson how he would plead.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday welcomed the dismissal of Central Karoo district municipality manager Truman Prince, saying it had lost confidence in the controversial politician. DA Western Cape chairperson Theuns Botha said the party was glad Prince has been ousted.
Two Labour Department inspectors were arrested after allegedly receiving a bribe from a construction-site employer on Monday, the Department of Labour said. ”The suspects were extorting R3 000 from a construction employer whom they had found to be unlawfully employing illegal immigrants,” said a spokesperson.
The withdrawal of charges against retired mining mogul Roger Kebble is provisional and does not indicate the matter has been abandoned, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Monday. Five charges of tax fraud against Kebble were withdrawn in court.