Lebanese refugees flooded back to their homes in the war-ravaged south on Tuesday as the truce held for a second day and Israeli forces began a slow withdrawal. People travelled south at a rate of 6Â 000 per hour, cramming into cars stacked with mattresses and bags in defiance of renewed Israeli threats.
Two young baboons from Kommetjie in the Western Cape have died of suspected poisoning and a third is being treated at a veterinary clinic, the Cape Times reported on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether the animals were deliberately poisoned.
A Kempton Park salesman suffered serious burn wounds in a roadside acid attack between Johannesburg and Nelspruit, media reports said on Wednesday. Henk Griesel (33) stopped on Tuesday to investigate a noise in his car. A ”Samaritan” stopped behind him and offered to help, but instead poured a brown-coloured acid over Griesel.
Flamboyant British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin Money has taken the South African credit-card market by storm — with more than 50 000 cards approved in the first six weeks of its entry into the country. In addition, the company has approved more than 20 000 car cards.
The safety and security of the country could be at risk if HIV/Aids among police in South Africa is not addressed and large numbers of them start dying, the International Aids Conference heard in Toronto on Tuesday. A preliminary report shows police work in an environment that increases their risk of HIV infection.
The trial of sex crimes accused Cezanne Visser, alias ”Advocate Barbie”, might only continue in March next year if she has her way. Visser’s legal representatives on Tuesday withdrew from the trial after she terminated their services and appointed a private attorney and experienced senior criminal advocate to defend her.
Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on Tuesday night lashed out at the media for ”distortion” in reporting on South Africa’s exhibition of garlic, lemon and beetroot at the International Aids Conference in Toronto. ”We haven’t shocked the world; we have told the truth,” she said.
The duopoly telecoms providers in Uganda, South Africa’s MTN and Uganda Telecom, have opposed the Ugandan government’s plan to open up the telecoms market to competition. The two providers say opening up the telecoms market would not be in the interests of the country.
Roofs of houses and businesses were in danger of collapsing under the weight of snow in Barkly East and Elliot in the Eastern Cape, Arrive Alive said on Wednesday. Disaster teams and traffic authorities were using graders to clear snow off the road. ”But it is very, very cold and the snow is very thick,” said an Arrive Alive spokesperson.
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The former head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Bulelani Ngcuka, did everything in his power to protect the reputation of former deputy president Jacob Zuma, according to an affidavit filed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. In the document, Ngcuka denies allegations of involvement in any political conspiracy against Zuma.