Mbeki did not want his first state visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to look like a victory lap for what is arguably his government’s greatest foreign mediation success. Neither did he want it to be frittered away with the customary pomp and ceremony of these events. He went mob-handed to Kinshasa this week, taking no fewer than seven Cabinet colleagues.

World champions Australia found record-shattering form to once again outclass a struggling Zimbabwe and record their third straight win in the tri-nation international one-day cricket series at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Friday.

Michelle Wie was neither in awe, nor out of her depth in the opening round of the Sony Open on Thursday. The 14-year-old golf prodigy looked as though she belonged with the big boys of golf as she totaled three birdies and five bogeys for a two-over-par 72 in perfect conditions at Waialae Country Club.

Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs raced to their third double century stand as South Africa’s dominance over the West Indies continued on the first day of the fourth cricket Test against the West Indies on Friday.

A jubilant former Bafana Bafana team head coach Ephraim ”Shakes” Mashaba said on Friday that he was exhilarated that justice had been done — and was on standby to go to Tunisia.

Graeme Smith survived an almost certain run out chance to help South Africa to a healthy 70 without loss at lunch on the first day of the fourth cricket Test against the West Indies on Friday. After rain delayed the start of play by half an hour, Smith and Gibbs rattled along at almost four to the over.

Although Ephraim ”Shakes” Mashaba’s position as Bafana Bafana coach has been terminated by the SA Football Association (Safa), according to law he is still coach of the national soccer team following a Friday Johannesburg court ruling.

The unemployed youths, civil servants and 1994 genocide survivors in the blue, yellow and green kits who make up the Wasps, Rwanda’s national soccer team, don’t look like they pack much of a sting.