Protesting security guards in Pretoria began to disperse on Thursday afternoon after their strike turned violent earlier, with a security vehicle set alight and rubbish strewn in the inner city. At one stage police fired rubber bullets at the protesting guards in an effort to calm the situation.
Two days of fierce clashes in Mogadishu between an Islamic militia and forces that have challenged clerics’ growing power have killed at least 60 people, according to medical workers. At least 20 people were killed in fighting on Thursday, while the toll from Wednesday was 40, according to figures gathered from hospitals in Mogadishu.
South Africa’s leading strike-bowler Shaun Pollock has passed a fitness test and will be in the team for the second Castle Lager Test against Australia, which starts at Kingsmead on Friday. Pollock missed the first Test after spraining a ligament in his sacroiliac joint during the fourth one-day international in Durban two weeks ago.
The National Intelligence Agency became embroiled in a rogue investigation involving the illegal interception of the communications of more than 13 highly placed individuals, an investigation by the inspector general (IG) of intelligence has found. The report was released in edited form on Thursday.
South Africa’s golden duo of high-jump queen Anika Smit and 400m hurdles sensation LJ van Zyl spearheaded Team South Africa’s seven-medal haul at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Thursday. South Africa’s medal success on the eighth day of the 10-day event saw the country regain fifth spot on the medals table.
Over 15 000 Telkom workers are expected to participate in a national stayaway starting on Monday, Solidarity and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said on Thursday. At a press conference held in Johannesburg, both unions said the strike action would be part of a campaign to fight against Telkom’s unfair ”gain-sharing” schemes.
A call by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai for mass protests against President Robert Mugabe resonates among the majority of Zimbabweans and has dramatically raised the country’s political stakes, but could well fail if the opposition movement remains divided, analysts said.
The Independent Democrats on Thursday rubbished claims from Cape Town mayor Helen Zille that ID leader Patricia de Lille had vetoed working with the DA-led coalition city government. ”The ID wishes to state that these are blatant lies,” said Simon Grindrod, leader of the ID in the council.
Negotiations between Zimbabwe and Rand Merchant Bank of South Africa for a $1-million loan facility have virtually collapsed after Harare failed to prove it was able to pay back, authoritative sources told independent news source <i>ZimOnline</i> on Thursday.
Police fired rubber bullets at protesting guards after they apparently set alight a security van in Pretoria on Thursday afternoon. Guards made their way to Church Square, trashing rubbish bins and causing havoc in the city centre. Shops were also set alight. The violence came on the first day of a security-guard strike in seven provinces.