An independent doctors’ group in Zimbabwe expressed deep concern on Monday over the growing number of people admitted to hospital with injuries allegedly inflicted by the police and state agents. The association said in a statement it was concerned at the level of force being used in the arrest of opposition activists.
Under bright yellow umbrellas in a dusty market in south Sudan’s capital Juba, men sit with handfuls of up to five currencies, all of which can still pay your way in some parts of this semi-autonomous region. A north-south accord in 2005 ended Africa’s longest war, bringing peace to Sudan’s south although a separate conflict continues in western Darfur.
The head of a Malawian orphanage refuted reports on Monday that Madonna was to adopt a young girl from her children’s home as the United States pop diva flew into the Southern African country. British newspaper the Sun reported that the London-based singer wanted to adopt a three-year-old girl called Grace from the Consol Home.
South Africa’s upgraded transport information system was off to a shaky start on Monday, with some testing stations failing to reopen. Authorities in most provinces reported hiccups and constant technical failures. Testing stations in Midrand, Randburg, Sandton, Langlaagte and Pretoria were still closed due to technical glitches.
A massive marketing push by the financial services industry is urgently needed, according to government figures. "The irony is that the nation has the greatest array of financial products in its history, but makes the least use of them," says Kim Zietsman, Stanlib’s head of single-manager unit trusts.
A flat tax in which the ratio of tax to taxable income is the same at all levels of income — and which replaces various tax bands that feature in a progressive tax regime with a single tax — would allow the South African government to gather more tax at lower rates, Free Market Foundation (FMF) economist Jasson Urbach has argued.
Sophie Edington of Australia picked up six gold medals at the 2007 Telkom National Aquatic Championships, which ended at the Kings Park pool in Durban on Sunday night. She took both the 100m and 50m freestyle medals, the 50m butterfly, and the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke races in her stride.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter on Monday urged cricket-mad India to embrace soccer and lift the sport’s infrastructure in order to compete with other nations in the region. He said Fifa has special plans to improve soccer in India, who are currently ranked 165th in the world.
A new judge has not yet been appointed to hear the criminal trial of alleged child molester Cezanne Visser, alias ”Advocate Barbie”. The trial was delayed for a considerable period when trial Judge Essop Patel fell ill and was unable to resume, resulting in the trial having to start afresh before a new judge.
The elimination of the defending champions and a spirited performance against the odds were two of the features of a thrilling final weekend of league fixtures in the Vodacom Cup competition, which enters its quarterfinal stage this weekend. Holders the Valke went down 17-8 to the Blue Bulls last Friday.