”It was promised at the beginning of this trial, with apologies to Virgil, that the prosecution would concern an epic of arms and a man — ‘arma virumque cano‘. Many other issues would also be covered and the epic would concern many persons other than one man.” State prosecutor Billy Downer presented his closing argument in Schabir Shaik’s fraud trial this week. This is an edited extract.
Click on image for full-size view.
Trade unionists have warned that the unified front presented by the tripartite alliance partners at their summit last weekend will fracture unless the African National Congress-led government moves to implement the resolutions adopted at the meeting.The resolutions, suggest greater concord between the alliance partners on economic policy than has existed for a decade.
The government denied on Thursday claims of radioactive danger in the vicinity of Pelindaba outside Pretoria, and threatened to change the law to sanction anybody spreading baseless alarm in future. ”There is no security or proliferation risk,” Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
Taxi owners cautiously welcomed a new government code unveiled on Thursday for minimum wages and basic employment conditions in the industry. Workers embraced the announcement and warned employers that attempts to violate or undermine the initiative will face ”vigorous challenge”.
”Lion Man” Nelson Chisale’s killers were convicted of his murder on Thursday, more than a year and three months after he was viciously beaten with pangas and then fed to lions at the Mokwalo White Lion Project, near Hoedspruit. Mark Scott-Crossley (37) and Simon Mathebula (41) were each found guilty on a charge of murder.
Environmentalists questioned on Thursday a multimillion-rand contract to build South Africa’s first pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) fuel plant, saying the PBMR company has no legal basis to continue development. The R102-million contract has been awarded to a German company.
Calm was returning slowly on Thursday to the Togo capital, Lomé, after post-election violence that has killed at least 22 people, amid assurances from France that it will not intervene in the affairs of its former West African colony. Most of the victims were opposition supporters, medical sources have said.
The government signed a contract with Airbus Military on Thursday, under which South Africa will become a partner in the A400M airlifter programme and acquire at least eight of the transport aircraft. The Democratic Alliance opposed the deal on Thursday, saying it ”looks set to be another costly mistake”.
About 14Â 000 jobs were created every month last year compared with 10Â 000 over the previous years, but that was still not enough reduce the unemployment rate, economist Mike Schussler said on Thursday. Schussler, author of the South African Employment Report, was speaking at its launch.