Tens of thousands of unmarried Swazi girls performed a final dance on Monday culminating a week-long celebration of chastity as Swazi authorities moved to defend the centuries-old ”reed dance” from international ridicule. Every year, tens of thousands of girls from across the country gather to participate in the dance.
Ferrari’s seven-time formula-one world champion Michael Schumacher believes he will struggle to get a place on the podium at this Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Schumacher has shown signs of frustration at the Italian team’s lack of competitiveness this season.
The bodies of two teenage boys who drowned in Blaauwpan dam near Kempton Park were found on Monday afternoon, North Rand police said. Five boys between the ages of 13 and 16 allegedly stole a pedal-powered boat at about 4pm on Sunday and went out on to the dam near Bonaero Park.
Fear ripped through the largest emergency shelter in New Orleans on Monday as rain from Hurricane Katrina seeped through the roof of the Superdome sports arena. ”The Superdome management assured us this would be the safest place in New Orleans,” a clearly shaken reporter told a local radio station.
Zimbabwean lawyers on Monday urged President Robert Mugabe’s government to scrap a Bill that will prevent white farmers from legally challenging land grabs, saying it makes a mockery of the law. ”This a direct and undisguised frontal attack on the independence of the judiciary,” the Law Society of Zimbabwe said.
Three international performing artists are to join a host of local stars in a charity concert in Johannesburg later this year. Christina Aguilera, Diana Ross and violinist Lucia Micarelli will be performing at a gala banquet at the Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, on November 9.
Family members should be allowed to switch off the life-support system of a brain-dead person, said 70% of South African adults approached in a recent survey. But half of them opposed active euthanasia, indicated the poll results released on Monday. The telephonic survey was conducted among 493 adults in urban areas last month.
The case against four men accused of raping a Belgian pupil was weakened after a newspaper published their pictures before an identity parade could be held. The four have so far refused to subject themselves to a line-up because the <i>Daily Sun</i> newspaper published photos of them after the incident.
<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=zuma_report"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/243078/zuma.jpg" align=left border=0></a>The tripartite alliance is to meet sooner rather than later to discuss President Thabo Mbeki’s proposed inquiry into an alleged plot against Jacob Zuma, African National Congress spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said on Monday, as a call was made for Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s resignation.
Planned boundary changes to an Eastern Cape ”cross-border municipality”, announced recently, were preceded by intense behind-the-scenes lobbying by provincial African National Congress leaders concerned about the loss of electoral support. The Mail & Guardian has learned that the Eastern Cape ANC was particularly concerned about the relocation of Kokstad to KwaZulu-Natal.