The case against 15 of the 16 people arrested for last month’s Jeppestown shooting was postponed to August 21 at the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The case against the men, suspects in the shootout with police at a house in Jeppestown last month that left 12 people dead, four of them police officers, was postponed for a bail application and for further investigations.
As the South African Communist Party (SACP) gears up for its 85th anniversary celebration this weekend, the ruling African National Congress has said that it values the relationship it has with its alliance partner. In a statement on Thursday ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said: "This is a relationship that has stood the test of time."
Arabs on Thursday wrote off the Rome meeting on Lebanon as a disappointment and accused Washington of subverting the will of the world for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the guerrilla group Hezbollah. But some saw hope in signs that Washington was isolated and might have to change its position if its Israeli allies fail to make progress in their military campaign in south Lebanon.
The Chadian government has signed an accord with Sudan in the Chadian capital N’djamena aimed at normalising relations since Chad severed diplomatic relations two months ago. In Wednesday’s agreement, signed by representatives, the two countries agreed not to use their respective territories to accommodate armed groups active along their common border, according to media reports.
Eritrea on Thursday called for the speedy withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia, where they have been deployed to protect the country’s fledgling government, warning that their continued stay risked provoking a regional conflict. On a government website, Asmara also urged Addis Ababa to heed calls by the country’s Islamic courts to leave the shattered nation.
A train derailment in Durban has left 86 people injured, Metrorail said on Thursday. Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said a coach left the tracks near the Duffs Road Railway Station in KwaMashu. It appeared most of the injuries occurred when passengers tried to jump from the coach. There were no major injuries.
The South African trial of nine men charged in an alleged plot to topple the president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea has been delayed until next year, the men’s lawyer said on Thursday. Alwyn Griebenow said the trial, seen as a test of South Africa’s anti-mercenary laws, had been postponed from next week due to scheduling conflicts with lawyers.
British music group EMI said on Thursday that it would not pursue its proposed takeover of United States rival Warner Music "for the time being". EMI said the decision followed a move by a European Union’s court to annul the European Commission’s approval of the music merger which was to create Sony BMG.
The JSE remained in positive territory in noon trade on Thursday, helped by world markets and higher commodity prices. The bourse so far proved quite resilient in the face of far-worse-than-expected producer price index (PPI) data released at 11.30am.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Thursday confirmed it had served diversified mining company Kumba Resources with a notice for strike action. "After consultation with our members we have opted to strike, because we are of the view that the company is not prepared to improve the conditions and wages of workers," NUM chief negotiator at Kumba Eddie Majadibodu said.