As predictable as sensationalist coverage of the ”lesbian murder trial” recently was the reaction from conservative religious groups to the verdict. No sooner had magistrate Rita Willemse found Haneline Botha and her partner, Engeline de Nysschen, guilty than the African Christian Democratic Party released a statement headed ”Lesbian couple murder boy shows moral decay [sic]”.
The African National Congress on Friday lashed out at media reports on its national executive committee’s approach to the hoax e-mail saga, including a <i>Mail & Guardian</i> report claiming there is a rift between ANC president Thabo Mbeki and secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe on this matter.
Ethiopian children are facing a new threat after two years of drought because recent rainfall has increased the risk of lethal disease, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Friday. Damien Personnaz, a Unicef spokesperson, said that rain in parts of the Oromia region had raised the spectre of diarrhea and malaria.
South Africa’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia was at the scene of the Bahrain ferry disaster on Friday and was working with a team to verify how many South Africans were involved, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Four Murray & Roberts staff were confirmed to have drowned when the ferry capsized during a pleasure cruise on Thursday night, the company said in Johannesburg.
The retail price of petrol will go up between 21 cents a litre (c/l) and 24c/l on Wednesday, the Department of Minerals and Energy announced on Friday. The latest changes bring the retail price of a litre of 95-octane unleaded petrol in Gauteng to R5,73 a litre and to R5,50 a litre at the coast.
The Malawi government is seeking details about a fire that left 12 dead, mostly migrant workers from Malawi, in the inner city of Johannesburg early on Wednesday, said a senior official. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Davis Katsonga confirmed that seven of the dead were Malawi nationals.
New South Wales Waratahs fullback Peter Hewat scored a try among 21 points on Friday as the Waratahs beat South Africa’s Cheetahs 26-3 to consolidate their lead in the Super 14. Hewat kept a perfect kicking record for the second match in a row, landing two conversions and four penalties to take his individual points tally for the season to 132.
Cape Judge President John Hlophe has denied a claim that he received a R10Â 000-a-month retainer from a company involved in a lawsuit against a fellow judge. The allegation is contained in an article to be published in the investigative magazine noseweek. However, Hlophe said briefly on Friday: ”I’m not on any retainer.”
The Scorpions have been given permission to confiscate a farm in Mpumalanga where the drug tik-tik, or ice, was manufactured, the National Prosecution Authority said on Friday. Spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said the Pretoria High Court gave the order on Thursday.
Cape Town’s city manager, Wallace Mgoqi, has been asked by the Democratic Alliance-led administration not to come to work until question marks over his contract have been resolved, mayoral spokesperson Robert Macdonald said on Friday. The contract was renewed by then mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo, whose African National Congress lost the city to an alliance of the DA and smaller parties.