Despite the difficulties they faced, women’s struggles during apartheid resulted in South Africa today having one of the most progressive constitutional-legislative frameworks for women’s rights in the world. It is not, however, a time for complacency — there exist devastating compromises and crucial omissions, writes Pregs Govender.
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Food, security and political stability were on Wednesday identified as some of the urgent matters that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) needs to address. ”For us as a region we cannot continue in the medium and long term … to beg for food,” said SADC executive secretary Tomaz Augusto Salomao.
Lebanon’s government on Wednesday ordered 15Â 000 troops to move south to take full control, with United Nations peacekeepers, when Israeli troops withdraw after a 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas. Officials said Lebanese troops would deploy south of the Litani River, about 20km from the Israeli border, on Thursday.
Three people were found dead after they were trapped in snow in Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Wednesday. ”Today’s [Wednesday] freezing weather in the area is probably the cause of their death.” Disaster teams in the Eastern Cape were also battling to clear roads of snow that fell overnight in Barkly East and Elliot, Arrive Alive said.
Sipho Dube is a serial murderer and paedophile who cannot be rehabilitated, a police forensic psychologist told the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday. ”Studies prove that child molesters are most difficult to rehabilitate … In this instance the accused qualifies,” said Dr Gerald Labuschagne.
Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad said on Wednesday his office had reminded him that he had met an official from French arms company Thomson CSF. ”Arising from reports in weekend newspapers and subsequent media enquiries, in good faith I requested my office to verify whether I had met with a representative of Thomson CSF,” said Pahad in a statement.
Islamist courts controlling much of southern Somalia seized a key central port on Wednesday and said at least 100 government troops had defected to their side, in new blows to the weak administration. Hundreds of fighters loyal to the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia faced no resistance as they swept into the port of Hobyo.
The case against Cezanne Visser, alias Advocate Barbie, will be reopened in the Pretoria High Court later this month in an attempt to prove that she was abused. Judge Essop Patel on Wednesday postponed Visser’s trial to August 29 to give her new senior advocate, Johan Engelbrecht, time to find out if the fact that Visser was abused by her partner, Dirk Prinsloo, can be used as a defence.
A sum of  000 deposited in an offshore trust set up by LeisureNet boss Peter Gardener was cash for a joint investment in property, not an extortion payment, the Cape High Court was told on Wednesday. Gardener, former joint chief executive of the now-defunct group, was in the witness stand for the third day in succession.