This week marked one of the finest hours in the tenure of Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel — but not because he had a national Budget to unveil. It was because a range of esteemed contributors have collaborated to appraise Manuel’s eventful term of office in a new book called Manuel, Markets and Money: Essays in Appraisal.
Kaizer Chiefs spokesperson Putco Mafani briefly appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for allegedly assaulting his wife, Phumeza, last weekend. Mafani faces a charge of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, prosecutor Berenice le Roux said.
World champion Michael Schumacher led a chorus of concern that sandstorms could affect this weekend’s inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix but is confident the race will play into his hands once again. The race takes place at the brand-new Bahrain International Circuit, situated in the desert on the south of the country.
Orlando Pirates’ vast superiority allowed them to come back from behind and overwhelm Classic 3-1 in the last 16 of the Absa Cup Soccer Competition match at the Johannesburg Stadium on Wednesday night. Ben Madlanzi rifled a beautiful shot in front of defender Papi Khomane past fully stretched goalkeeper Thabang Radebe in the 43rd minute.
At least 10 Malians, including a Muslim cleric, have been killed in violence in Côte d’Ivoire’s main city, Abidjan, since the Ivorian army quashed an anti-government demonstration there last week, an official said in Mali on Thursday. Several more Malians have been injured.
Here in the Groot Marico, where the main business is making merry and mampoer, we have a rather ingrained suspicion of those big corporations that hail from the urban centres (such as Zeerust). We tend to have a mental image of those who work for these conglomerates as little grey men (and women) who need a sense of humour as much as they need ego.
About 80 members of the labour union Solidarity picketed outside the SA Sports Commission’s Pretoria offices after its retraction of a gold medal won by a white athlete at the South African Games. The union denounced the step as racial discrimination, insisting the medal be returned to the athlete.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said on Thursday he wants to bring another superstar to the club during the summer. Sports director Jorge Valdano, however, had earlier suggested there may be no major arrivals. Arsenal’s Thierry Henry and Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy have been reported to be possible Madrid targets.
Never underestimate a wounded Cat. That will be the message coach Kevin Putt will be hammering home to his Sharks charges as they come back into Super 12 rugby action after a weekend off for a bye in the ”derby” game against the Cats at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Relatives and friends danced with joy on Thursday outside the New Delhi home of batsman Virendra Sehwag, whose triple century — the first by an Indian — helped his team beat Pakistan for the first time on Pakistani soil. A stream of well-wishers greeted Sehwag’s parents.