Malizole Diko, a Member of Parliament who defected from General Bantu Holomisa’s United Democratic Movement last year to form the United Independent Front, (UIF) died in the early hours of Friday morning. Colleagues said that he had died after a short illness in Cape Town and had been extremely ill in recent weeks.
Zimbabwe business leaders want Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono to devalue the local dollar by almost 100% when he announces his monetary policy review statement next week. The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, regarded as the voice of business in the country, also wants Gono to reintroduce a two-tier exchange rate system for exporters.
A man wielding a Swiss army knife had to be restrained and moved to the back of a South African Airways (SAA) aircraft on an overnight flight from Zurich to Johannesburg, media reports said on Friday. The passenger apparently spent the first portion of the trip threatening a passenger with the knife and repeatedly grabbing the earphones off the head of a woman sitting next to him.
White South Africans marched in protest on Thursday against an attempt to rename their town to make it sound more black and African, part of a controversial nation-wide campaign to change place names. Dozens of white residents in Lydenburg — and one black person — rallied to keep the name given to the town by Dutch settlers in the 19th century.
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KwaZulu-Natal’s top leadership of the tripartite alliance will be out in force to support the African National Congress’ deputy president as he goes on trial for corruption next week. From 6pm on Sunday the city centre is expected to be packed with thousands of supporters of Jacob Zuma who will turn out for an all night vigil.
A new video work holds a microscope to the shifting landscape of the city. Matthew Krouse speaks to artist Ismail Farouk.
Dutch writer Fred de Vries’s new book Club Risiko looks at underground city cultures including Jo’burg’s. Here is a translated, edited excerpt.
Hezbollah wants an immediate ceasefire and is ready to swap the two abducted Israeli soldiers ”in six hours” after it comes into force, according to officials from Amal, a Shia party allied to Hezbollah. Hezbollah has entrusted Amal with negotiations for a prisoner deal, realising that it cannot be a direct partner to talks.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair will press United States President George Bush on Friday to support ”as a matter of urgency” a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of a United Nations Security Council resolution next week, according to Downing Street sources.
Minister of Land and Agricultural Affairs Lulu Xingwana muscled a South African Airways passenger off her business-class seat on a flight to Johannesburg two weeks ago, relegating the latter to a crew seat at the back of the aircraft. According to the pilot’s formal incidents report, Xingwana stormed through the boarding gate and ”hijacked” seat 1F when she discovered she had been removed from flight SA 570 from Durban to Johannesburg.