Clothing workers have hailed an understanding reached between South Africa and China on textile imports as a chance to rebuild the local industry. Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed on Wednesday his country’s willingness to restrict textile exports to South Africa.
Heavy snowfalls are likely over the north-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape on Thursday, the South African Weather Service said. Forecaster Deon van der Mescht said very cold and wet conditions were expected in Aliwal North, Queenstown and Molteno. Snowfalls would then move to the Drakensberg.
The Young Communist League (YCL) on Thursday accused the leadership of the African National Congress of bullying and malice. It also ”rejects with contempt the insinuation” by the ANC’s national working committee that the YCL was being funded by unnamed foreign donor agencies. ”The insinuation is littered with malice, rumour-mongering and is without substance,” the YCL said.
They failed to get going against the World XV, showed potential in the first Test against Scotland and stuttered to a worrying victory in the second. However, Springbok coach Jake White is not scampering to pressing any panic buttons yet as his team prepare for a one-off Test match against France in Cape Town on Saturday.
Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana has referred allegations of corruption at a sectoral education and training authority (Seta), involving at least R13,7-million, to the Scorpions for further investigation. He has also given its board two weeks to study a forensic report by the auditor general and act on its findings.
A Gauteng man has spent more than R42 000 to propose to his ”angel” Anita in a full-page newspaper advert on Thursday. On bended knee in the Afrikaans daily Beeld, looking imploringly into the camera and clutching more than 25 red roses, the man asks: ”Anita, my angel, will you marry me?”
A pact for a new transfrontier game park straddling the borders between Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe was signed on Thursday. The environment ministers of the three countries endorsed the agreement in Botswana on the dry bed of the Shashe River. Once proclaimed, the Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area will cover 4 872 square kilometres.
Former president FW de Klerk, recovering in hospital following surgery to remove a malignant colon tumour, is completely off his ventilator, a family spokesperson said on Thursday. ”He’s doing very well and we’re all very pleased with his progress,” said Dave Steward.
South Africa spent about 0,87% of its gross domestic product on research and development (R&D) in 2004/05, the Department of Science and Technology said on Thursday. It said this amounted to about R12-billion — up from R10,1-billion, or 0,81% of GDP, the previous year.
South African Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni on Thursday emphasised that his concerns about conspicuous consumption did not suggest he meant that the economy was overheating. He said his comments that people find themselves financially overcommitted did not mean "that we are saying that the economy is overheating".