It could not have worked out more perfectly for the Premier Soccer League and the sponsors had the SAA Supa8 semifinal draw been calculated by an intricate computer programme than the more standard method on Monday. The outcome produced not one juicy derby but two, with Kaizer Chiefs up against Moroka Swallows and Mamelodi Sundowns facing SuperSport United.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has cancelled Tuesday’s planned Atlantis shuttle launch but put off a decision to return the orbiter to its hangar to protect it from tropical storm Ernesto, a spokesperson said on Monday.
A police officer who was shot and wounded by two men in an attack in Lydenburg had one of his attackers arrested when the man was brought to the same hospital, Mpumalanga police said on Monday. Constable Dumisani Mhlanga was walking to his home at midnight on Saturday when he was wounded in his stomach and arm by four armed men, said Captain Leonard Hlathi.
A young Danish footballer died after being struck by lightning during a weekend youth league match, local media reported on Monday. The player — from the small town of Ulfborg in central Jutland — was hit on Saturday during a lower league match between Ulfborg and Mabjerg, and died late on Sunday.
The South African Football Association (Safa) on Monday praised the women’s national team, Banyana Banyana, for winning gold at the Cosafa Women’s Tournament that took place in Zambia last week. Banyana Banyana beat Namibia 3-1 in the final, thus ensuring that the team finished the tournament unbeaten.
Outgoing Auditor General (AG) Shauket Fakie has been appointed to head multinational telecommunications group MTN’s business risk management, the group announced on Monday. Fakie’s term of office as AG is set to end in November, and he will take up his new post on January 1 2007.
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has welcomed an apology by apartheid minister of law and order Adriaan Vlok, but said on Monday it was insufficient. SACC general secretary Eddie Makue commended Vlok, who recently apologised to Director General of the Presidency Frank Chikane for police atrocities committed during his tenure.
South African cardiac specialists are to help decide whether Zambia’s former president Frederick Chiluba is fit to stand trial on corruption charges. One of the doctors behind a preliminary medical report said that Chiluba was ”very sick” but more tests would be needed to ascertain the extent of his illness.
United States Senator Barack Obama called on Monday for stepped up protection of press freedom and the environment, meeting with embattled Kenyan journalists and Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai. Speaking at Nairobi’s Standard Media Group, Obama offered a pep talk to employees concerned by growing assaults on press freedom.
South Africa, which has backed Iran’s right to enrich uranium, says it is contemplating processing its own uranium to boost power generation and envisages building up to six new nuclear reactors. But Minerals and Energy Affiars Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said in a speech that any enrichment of uranium would be pursued within international obligations.