Ironically, the New National Party may have thrown in the towel too soon. Some officials in the African National Congress argue that the NNP should have waited until after next year’s local government elections before joining the ANC, in the hope that they would be able to bring some supporters with them. Operation Nat Attack, it seems, was a long-running plan to weaken and ultimately kill the NNP.
At the heart of the travel scam lies the average South African politician’s penchant for the high life. Tony Yengeni moonlighted as a model for Fabiani, the upmarket clothing store in Cape Town, in return for free suits. His political career came to a premature end when he took a huge discount on a 4×4. Now Parliament is being further besmirched by expensive tastes that stretch way beyond the whippery.
Manning Rangers collected maximum points in their first game of the Premier Soccer League 2004/05 season when they beat neighbours Lamontville Golden Arrows by 1-0 at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night. The only goal of the entertaining derby match was scored by Linos Chalwe in the 41st minute.
Manchester United overcame a host of absentees, a bomb scare and an early own goal to beat Dynamo Bucharest 2-1 in Bucharest on Wednesday to make themselves the firm favourites to reach the Champions League group stages. An own goal by Angelo Alistar in the second half proved the winner.
Kumar Sangakkara scored his third Test double century on Thursday as Sri Lanka reached 395 runs for five wickets at lunch on the second day of the second cricket Test against South Africa. Resuming on 157, Sangakkara survived a chance after adding 20 runs to his overnight total.
Just a few hours before she was supposed to board the United States Olympic tennis team’s flight to Athens, Serena Williams sent word via e-mail that she wouldn’t be going to the summer Games because of a bad left knee. ”I’ve never been this disappointed in my career,” Williams said from Florida on Wednesday night.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
The Olympic flame began a final swing through the suburbs of Athens on Thursday before a journey after dusk up the Acropolis Hill to the 2 500-year-old Parthenon, the icon of Athens’s ancient glory. As the flame travelled around ancient monuments and through blue-collar districts, thousands of Athenians turned out to cheer.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
Touring the endless hallways and sweeping decks of the Queen Mary 2, you’ll find gleaming wood panelling, deep red carpeting and authentic Art Deco details. You’ll also find a hall of fame with larger-than-life, black-and-white photographs of some of the many stars who sailed on the ship’s predecessor, the Queen Mary: Buster Keaton. Bing Crosby. Charlie Chaplin. Elizabeth Taylor.
The art of lobbying is being perfected this week in the modernist marble interior of the Hilton hotel in Athens. The city’s magnificent Olympic stadium may be the focus of the world’s attention when the games of the 28th Olympiad open on Friday night, but the Hilton will be the real heart of the games.
He’s not yet advertising for a speechwriter, but Lemmer respectfully suggests that Oom Thabo seriously considers hiring someone with some talent along those lines. It might avoid the sort of stupendously pointless sound bite offered up to SAfm news as the prez congratulated South African women judges on the launch of the local chapter of the International Judges Association in Benoni on Monday.