Former national cricketer Garth le Roux had acted openly and honestly in all the transactions over which he now faces fraud charges, his advocate told Cape Town’s Wynberg Regional Court on Monday. Le Roux and his accountant, Deon van Heerden, are seeking a discharge at the end of the state’s case on the 48 counts of fraud they both face.
There is a rising tide of Zimbabwean immigrants crossing the border into South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. DA home affairs spokesperson Mark Lowe said he and several other DA parliamentarians and local DA councillors had visited the Beitbridge border post and surrounding areas.
Al-Qaeda threatened in an internet statement on Monday to escalate attacks against the ”enemies of Allah” in North African countries, warning Muslims to stay away from government sites. ”The Mujahedin [holy warriors] … have many hidden surprises for the enemies of Allah in the countries of the Islamic Maghreb, which will come in an escalating sequence,” said al-Qaeda.
State utility Transnet unveiled its new brand positioning and corporate-identity strategy in Johannesburg on Monday. Company group chief executive Maria Ramos told reporters that the company had come up with a new one-brand image with its different operations falling under it.
Alexander Vinokourov clinched his second victory of this year’s Tour de France with panache when he won the 196km 15th stage from Foix on Monday. The Astana rider, who lost all hope of winning the race when he cracked and crashed on Sunday’s 14th stage, went solo 15km from the summit of the Col de Peyresourde to beat Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen.
The Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has distanced itself from a South African Press Association (Sapa) report on a speech by Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Monday. Sapa’s report was issued under the headline: ”High crime levels driving tourists away: Van Schalkwyk.”
Caxton has been granted leave to participate in the Naspers/EMN/SuperSport merger procedures subject to certain conditions, the Competition Tribunal said on Monday. The tribunal said the merger had been referred to them at the end of May by the Competition Commission.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) has threatened to call for a boycott of Vodacom unless it extends organisational rights to the Communication Workers’ Union. Satawu would ”seriously consider” withdrawing its contracts for cellphones and airtime, Satawu general secretary Randall Howard said on Monday.
Zimbabwe’s Parliament opens a new session this week to debate radical plans to nationalise foreign firms and a law empowering the house to name President Robert Mugabe’s likely successor without a national vote. Mugabe will on Tuesday officially open the last session of the House of Assembly and the upper Senate ahead of general polls due by next March.
The Safety and Security Ministry dismissed claims on Monday that a draft Bill governing news coverage of important national buildings and institutions was constitutionally incompatible. Ministry spokesperson Trevor Bloem said state law advisers had ensured the Bill conformed to all constitutional principles.