Three nurses were hijacked with their mobile clinic between Tsolo and Maclear on Tuesday, the Eastern Cape health department said. Their assailants crashed the vehicle shortly after they hijacked it at about 4pm, health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said.
The price of petrol will rise by 38 cents next week, bringing the Gauteng price to R5 a litre — its highest to date. The Department of Minerals and Energy said on Tuesday the price of all categories of fuel will rise. Departmental spokesperson Yvonne Mfolo said the announced prices are projections, which will be finalised on Friday or Monday.
Domestic employers, seasonal employers, farmers and their workers contributed R40,9-million to the Unemployment Insurance Fund during the 2003/04 financial year, according to Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. This figure has already jumped to R68-million for the categories of employers and workers in the period from April 1 2004 to January 31 2005.
Panic and ignorance abounded on Tuesday in Angola as the war-ravaged country’s skeletal medical staff grappled with the worst ever outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus, which has claimed a record toll. The mood was a sombre one in hospitals in Luanda among doctors and nurses attending to patients who may or may not be infected with the killer virus.
When a small piece of South African history was made recently in the coastal city of Cape Town, it looked as if the boys would have the last laugh. ”Girls can’t play! Girls can’t play!” several onlookers roared after every goal. But by the end of the game on Rocklands sports field the smirks were gone.
Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank presents a major challenge to the whole development community. Science may well benefit but it is essential that poverty alleviation, not ideological ambition, dominates the bank’s agenda. There are fears that Wolfowitz will find it difficult to build a consensus on policy issues with countries that he has alienated so deeply with the invasion of Iraq.
Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff distanced herself on Tuesday from allegations that the murder of provincial official Noby Ngombane was politically motivated. Nokwanda Ngombane, speaking at her husband’s funeral on Monday, said the murder was political and that her husband’s enemies were present at the service.
The tsunami warnings that sent thousands scurrying to safety after Asia’s latest quake showed that three months after the wave tragedy an alert system exists — a haphazard one that leaves many at risk. Indonesia’s vice-president has estimated the death toll as high as 2 000, but only 300 deaths have been confirmed.
England striker Michael Owen said on Monday that he has nothing left to prove to his Real Madrid teammates. The former Liverpool striker scored one of England’s goals during their 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Northern Ireland at Old Trafford at the weekend and said he is happy with his contribution this season for the Spanish giants.
The South African cricket team to play the West Indies has improved by about 40% since the series against Sri Lanka in August last year, says Mike Haysman. The SuperSport commentator and presenter expects Graeme Smith’s side to do well in the West Indies.