Squatters living next to an East Rand aerodrome robbed an aviator after his Rans S10 aircraft landed in a dam, Beeld reported on Thursday. Flight instructor Mirek Zalewski told the Johannesburg daily that he was forced to perform an emergency landing in a Brakpan dam this week because shacks had been erected too close to the airstrip.
Gauteng police on Wednesday nabbed 600 people linked to rape, murder, hijacking and robbery cases. ”At least 43 suspects can be linked to outstanding rape cases and 10 hijackings. The rest were arrested for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug dealing and other crimes,” said Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht on Thursday.
The African National Congress parliamentary caucus has publicly backed the decision of the forum for the minister of housing and provincial housing ministers to remove the Democratic Alliance-led City of Cape Town from the N2 Gateway Housing Project ”with immediate effect”.
Former South African rugby boss Brian van Rooyen has been barred from serving in any capacity on the general council and committees of the South African Rugby Union, the union said on Thursday. It said Judge Joos Hefer imposed this penalty after finding Van Rooyen guilty of contravening the union’s code of conduct on six of the 11 charges that were brought against him.
Gauteng local governments are owed R17-billion for unpaid services, provincial minister Qedani Mahlangu said on Thursday. Mahlangu said, while delivering her budget speech in Johannesburg, that the debt, which was incurred due to unpaid services, was hampering service delivery in the province.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union on Thursday warned of a possible national strike by its 200 000 members should they reject a proposed 6% wage increase. The South African Local Government Association is also considering the proposal, made by the facilitator in the wage negotiations that started in March.
The Pretoria High Court will rule on Monday on the urgency of an application for it to declare the arrest, detention and removal from South Africa of a Pakistani national unlawful. Attorney Zehir Omar asked on Thursday that the arrest, detention and removal of Khalid Mahmood Rashid be declared unlawful.
Johannesburg police undertook on Thursday to probe claims of a delayed police response at the crime scene of Cape Town journalist Megan Herselman, who was killed on Tuesday night at the Rivonia offramp on the N1 north. She had arrived from Cape Town that evening and lost her way between Johannesburg International airport and Midrand.
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Ecuador beat Costa Rica 3-0 on Thursday to clinch qualification for the second phase of the World Cup for the first time in their history. The result means that Ecuador only need to draw with host nation Germany next Tuesday to win Group A by virtue of a superior goal difference, meaning they would avoid England if Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side win Group B.
The South African government has urged Israel to act with the utmost self-restraint in ensuring the legitimate defence and security of its own people. ”The South African government wishes to express its concern at the continuing Israeli military actions in the occupied territories,” the Department of Foreign affairs said in a statement on Thursday.