The end of the marathon Roodefontein corruption trial came into sight on Wednesday as former Western Cape premier Peter Marais decided to exercise his right to silence. As the state and his co-accused, former Western Cape provincial minister of environment David Malatsi, closed their cases, Marais’s advocate Craig Webster asked for half an hour to consult his client.
Cape Town councillor Sheval Arendse distanced himself from his wife Pamela’s behaviour on Wednesday, after she pleaded guilty and paid a fine in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court for fraud. Mother-of-two Pamela paid a R5 000 fine for illegally receiving a child grant — money she was not entitled to.
At least 24 Iraqis were killed and 37 injured in separate insurgent attacks in and around the capital Baghdad on Wednesday. Seven of the victims died and 13 were injured in simultaneous bomb blasts close to the city-centre Technical University, where an explosives-laden car detonated at the same time as two roadside bombs.
Indian censors have blocked access to a number of popular blogging sites on grounds of national security, causing outrage to thousands of bloggers. The directive from the department of telecommunications came days after the Mumbai blasts, and was aimed at shutting 17 blogs which carried material from religious and political extremists.
A new centre for children infected with HIV, which opened in Maputo this week, plans to use advanced technology to treat the disease.
A meeting between Sasol and two unions that may join Solidarity’s strike was underway on Wednesday at the chemical industry’s national bargaining council. Bosole Chidi, the acting general secretary of the South African Chemical Workers’ Union, and Welile Nolingo, the general secretary of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union, were at the meeting.
South Africa’s education system has been blamed for school violence that in the past week left one pupil dead and another with multiple skull fractures. A sense of spirituality and humanity is lacking, a Durban-based anti-drug forum said on Wednesday. Teachers lack empathy and the South African educational system needs to stop churning out workers, said forum chairperson Sam Pillay.
I was utterly surprised when my name was read out recently as the 2006 winner of the Nat Nakasa prize for integrity and bravery in journalism. To date, the award has gone to journalists; the idea of an academic getting the glory never occurred to me. Nor is there any special focus on journalism educators by the three groups behind the award.
The latest spike in oil prices to near a barrel is ”very uncomfortable” and is hurting the world economy, the president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) said on Wednesday. Edmund Daukoru, who is also Nigerian minister of state for petroleum, said the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was responsible for the latest jump.
Hundreds of ostriches are being culled following an outbreak of avian influenza near Mossel Bay, the Western Cape’s veterinary chief said on Wednesday. ”At least a couple of thousand will be culled,” said Dr James Kitching. He said the number is small — about the same number a single abattoir handles in a week.