THE United States, which pulled out of a UN conference on racism, ON Saturday criticized the conference’s final document as still flawed, but worth a look. ”We are looking forward to examining the final text when it becomes available and expect that will be a few days before we see the final text,” State Department […]

ANGELA QUINTAL, Durban | Monday AS Israel and others accused Arab and Muslim countries of hijacking the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, its official delegation in Durban said it was considering a walk-out. Meanwhile, it has emerged that Israel has asked South African President Thabo Mbeki to intervene in the Middle East conflict. The […]

Durban | Thursday THE state of Israel was committed to fighting each and every form of racism, Israeli ambassador to South Africa Tova Herzl said on Wednesday. Speaking in Durban, where she honoured a Dutch couple who saved Jews during the Holocaust, she said the state was established partly to give shelter to those persecuted […]

Durban | Friday THE World Conference Against Racism got under way in Durban on Friday with United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan urging delegates to end disagreements and wrangling, and send a signal of hope to victims of racism world-wide. The run-up to the conference has been marked by bitter dissension on such issues as calls […]

MOFFET MOFOKENG, Durban | Thursday OF all the forms of racism humanity has ever known, trans-atlantic slavery was the most horrible, Surinam government adviser Willem Udenhout said on Wednesday. ”It was unique in its scope and in the nature of its damage to the psyche of the victim,” Udenhout told delegates during a plenary session […]

FIVE gunmen shot dead the Sunduzwayo chief and another man at Umbumbulu on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Saturday, police reported on Sunday. Captain Vishnu Naidoo said chief Dingindawo Shange and Boysy Shangase both aged 39, were found dead with bullet wounds at 5am near a river. He said the gunmen abducted both the men […]

Johannesburg | Monday SOUTH Africa’s rand opened slightly firmer on Monday, encouraged by news that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe had approved a deal to halt illegal land invasions, but traders said the mood was still wary. At 0645 GMT the currency was trading a cent firmer at 8,47 against the dollar, but had eased off […]

THE brother of the speaker of the Free State Legislature was arrested around 4am on Monday, for allegedly driving at 210km/h, police said. Captain Ernest Mayiki said White Mohapi, the younger brother of speaker Jani Mohapi would appear in court on Monday for a bail application. Mohapi does not work for the legislature, but was […]

NINE awaiting trial prisoners escaped from Kempton Park police station on Saturday, police said on Sunday. Inspector Nomsa Sekele said two police officers opened a cell around 7pm to check on the prisoners. They overpowered the officers and took the cell keys. Sekele said they locked the officers in the cell and then escaped. – […]

NICHOLAS KOTCH, Durban | Monday SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday that aggressive diplomacy by the United States on Israel’s behalf had been counter-productive at a UN racism conference. He chided those Western European governments who sent low-level delegations to the talks he is hosting in Durban and denied that his view of […]