Legal papers would be served on President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday informing him that Billy Masetlha, the former director general of intelligence, is contesting his sacking, Masetlha’s attorney said. ”The papers were issued on Monday and would like be served on the president in the morning,” said Imran Haffajee.
South African Sports Commission and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Moss Mashishi conceded on Monday that South Africa does not have anywhere near the level of cash resources injected into sport by the Australians. ”Between the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the 2004 Athens Olympics, Australia invested Aus-million [R3,6-billion] in their athletes.”
Heads of state and government of eight French-speaking west African countries met in Niamey, Niger on Monday to discuss an emergency plan to combat lethal bird flu and choose a new head for the central bank of west African states. The summit opened with grim statistics on the danger that could face the region’s poultry if the H5N1 virus, which first hit the region in February, is not contained.
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The Johannesburg High Court has turned down an application by three non-governmental organisations to appear as amici curiae (friends of the court) in the rape trial of former deputy president Jacob Zuma. The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, the Centre for Applied Legal Studies and the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre had wanted to present evidence.
South Africa face the daunting task of batting throughout the final day of the second Castle Lager Test on Tuesday if they are to save the match and stay in the series. When bad light stopped play about ten minutes after tea on Monday, South Africa, chasing 410 to win, were 29-0 and faced the prospect of playing on an uneven pitch on Tuesday.
Solidarity and the Communication Workers Union’s (CWU) leadership have declared their national stayaway and march on Monday to deliver a memorandum of grievances to Telkom a success. An estimated 2 000 protesters marched to Telkom’s head office in Pretoria. About 13 000 Telkom employees stayed away from work.
President Thabo Mbeki has warned against attempts to exploit Inspector General of Intelligence Zolile Ngcakani’s report on the hoax African National Congress e-mails. The Presidency had noted Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon’s public call for Mbeki to establish a judicial commission of enquiry ”to investigate the mandate and activities of the national intelligence structure”.
People tend to look at me askance nowadays and wonder what I am doing in Johannesburg. ”You’re always travelling,” they say. ”We thought we’d be hearing from you from somewhere else.” I am half-tempted to defensively pull out my dompas and say back to them: ”Hey, check, I was born here, I live here.”
Egypt said on Monday a teenager hospitalised in the Nile delta governorate of Kafr al-Sheikh with bird-flu symptoms could be the fifth person in the country infected with the H5N1 strain of the virus. The 18-year-old girl was in a stable condition, Nasser Kamel, spokesperson for the government’s anti-bird-flu committee, told Agence France-Presse. He added that further tests were still being carried out.
Australia set South Africa the mammoth target of 410 to win the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead on Monday. Australia declared their second innings closed on 307-4, after a flurry of runs from Adam Gilchrist ended with his dismissal. Gilchrist made 24 off nine balls — 22 of these runs coming off an Andre Nel over.