The Department of Home Affairs said on Friday it has never placed any embargo on the issuing of passports and has not run out of paper for passports. It was reacting to news reports on Friday saying that no new passport blanks were available for processing.
A record eighth-wicket partnership of 256 by Stephen Fleming and James Franklin — including a double century for Fleming — put New Zealand firmly in control of the second Castle Lager Test at Newlands. When the players left the field on the second day on Friday, New Zealand had 535 for eight.
The United States administration branded Iran public enemy number one on Friday, calling it one of the world’s most active sponsors of terrorism, as United Nations nuclear inspectors revealed that Tehran has successfully enriched uranium and is racing ahead with its nuclear programme. The UN report shifted the nuclear dispute on to a new plane.
People have been surprised to learn that the new leader of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Sipho Mthathi, is a woman and HIV-negative. Mthathi has been in her job for almost seven months but she has only been propelled into the limelight now because of a fight with the government, which wants to exclude the TAC from a key United Nations meeting.
North West Premier Edna Molewa has fired her suspended agriculture department head, Emily Mogajane. But Mogajane has hit back by taking the premier to court. This is the latest episode in ongoing upheavals in the department of agriculture, conservation and environment, where six officials have been suspended and four directors arrested.
Animal activists threatened the Limpopo provincial government with court action this week in a bid to rescue six young elephants plucked ”heartlessly” from their family groups and sent for training at an elephant-back safari outfit. The six elephants, aged between six and 12 years, were removed over the Easter weekend from their herd.
About 500 striking security guards were arrested in Durban on Friday after they ransacked the Department of Labour’s offices, KwaZulu-Natal police said. ”They invaded the building and caused damage to property, furniture, motor vehicles and computers,” Inspector Michael Read said.
United States rapper Snoop Dogg was released from a London police station on Thursday with the help of Nelson Mandela’s daughter, Zinzi. ”I think they sent a letter but I do not have the details,” Big Concerts spokesperson Lara Cohen said on Friday. The rapper had been expected to perform at the Johannesburg Stadium on Thursday.
A former chairperson of South African Schools rugby and the founder of Craven Week, Jan Preuyt, died on Thursday evening at the age of 83 in the Eastern Cape town of Cathcart. Preuyt, a well-known school rugby administrator, was South African Schools chairperson for 19 years, and a friend of the late Danie Craven.
The United Nations threatened on Friday to suspend relief operations in parts of Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region because of continued attacks against aid workers by rebel fighters. The UN blames the Sudan Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Sudan Liberation Movement, for a spate of attacks in north Darfur.