South African lawmakers have given their thumbs up to a proposed law banning parents or guardians from spanking their charges. The law is an attempt to widen a ban on corporal punishment in schools, which was passed several years ago, to the home.
A man died and 11 others were seriously injured in an explosion at a scrap yard in the Bon Accord area of Pretoria on Wednesday, the Tshwane metro said. ”Preliminary indications show that there were explosives in the metals with which the men were working at the time of the explosion,” spokesperson William Baloyi said.
Four women who played major roles in the anti-apartheid struggle shared their memories with former president Nelson Mandela and an audience of about 50 people at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg on Wednesday. ”These ladies played a key … role in the struggle. Some of us can’t measure up to the sacrifices they made,” Mandela was quoted as saying.
South Africa is the 99th most peaceful country of 121 throughout the world, according to a global peace index compiled by the intelligence unit of the Economist, it was announced in a statement from London on Wednesday. South Africa was ranked the 14th most peaceful of 21 African states.
A working document tabled at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council on Wednesday offers progress in public-service pay talks, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said. ”This is a major breakthrough,” she told the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.
Retief Goosen wants to get his game in tip-top shape at this week’s Wales Open in preparation for a tilt at a third United States Open victory. The South African missed the cut at the PGA Championship for the fourth time after carding rounds of 76 and 74 at the European Tour’s flagship event last week.
Thursday, the last day of the month, will be a very long day in the revenue offices — it will end at 1pm on Saturday. South African Revenue Services (Sars) spokesperson Logan Wort said Sars is being ”inundated” with people wanting to take advantage of the small business tax amnesty — which ends on May 31 — and, to help them, will accept applications until 1pm on Saturday.
Many in Africa expressed disappointment at Wednesday’s news that former United States trade envoy Robert Zoellick is to replace Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank, saying the job should have gone to a developing country. But there was also hope that Zoellick’s experience on African trade issues could bring benefits.
The Department of Transport’s attempt on Tuesday evening to prevent Beeld newspaper from publishing a story about the controversial new electronic traffic information system was unconstitutional, the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said on Wednesday.
Despite the health risks associated with smoking, some South Africans still believe the habit is acceptable, a research survey released on Wednesday has found. A quarter of the 3 500 South African adults who participated in the survey felt that smoking was acceptable despite the medical evidence against it.