OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday THE Truth and Reconciliation Commission has reserved judgment in a former military intelligence operative’s application for amnesty for planning the bomb attack which maimed Constitutional Court Judge Albie Sachs. Henri van der Westhuizen, 40, said that prior to the hearing he approached Sachs – who as an African National Congress […]

SOUTH Africans are using some 75% more condoms this year than last, an indication HIV/Aids awareness programmes are working, says Deputy President Jacob Zuma. “The demand for free condoms issued by government has increased from 200m last year to about 350m this year,” Zuma told a gathering in the Free State to mark the second […]

THE Gaddafi Human Rights Prize has been awarded to Cuban President Fidel Castro in recognition of his “heroic role” in resisting imperialism, according to a report in the Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma. Libya’s permanent representative to the United Nations Abuzeid Omar Dorda handed the award to Castro in a “simple but moving” ceremony at […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday THE Heath Special Investigating Unit intends to investigate South Africa’s controversial R32m arms deal after studying an Auditor-General’s report which highlighted several flaws in the procurement process. If the Heath unit’s application for a proclamation to probe the deal is approved, it will become the third body to probe […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Tuesday THE Heath Special Investigating Unit intends to investigate South Africa’s controversial R32bn arms deal after studying an Auditor-General’s report which highlighted several flaws in the procurement process. If the Heath unit’s application for a proclamation to probe the deal is approved, it will become the third body to probe […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday SOUTH Africa’s much-delayed local government elections will take place on December 5, Local and Provincial Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi announced. Mufamadi made the announcement on Tuesday after President Thabo Mbeki pledged to prevent the erosion of powers of traditional leaders. Mbeki earlier met the joint technical committee established to determine […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday AVGOLD, the local gold producer, is evaluating three alternatives for the development of an ore body in the Free State, north of its Target project, which would cost between R1bn and R3bn, the daily Business Report said. Julian Gwillim, an Avgold spokesman, said they were mulling over three development options […]

AFP AND OWN CORRESPONDENT, Beijing | Tuesday CHINA is to announce a reduction in some of the debts of the poorest African countries during the first China-Africa Cooperation Forum in Beijing, say senior officials – but the eight countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan will not benefit from the debt reduction scheme. Vice Minister […]

LAND Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza has signed an R11m settlement agreement with representatives of 350 families of the Chatha community in Keiskammahoek in the Eastern Cape, whose families were forcibly removed from their land in 1962. Didiza commended the Chatha community for opting for a development settlement instead of cash compensation only. Half of the […]

REUTERS and OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Tuesday A MASSIVE detonation of commercial explosives at a house in a quite Pretoria residential suburb killed four people and critically injured two others, police said. Pretoria policeman Captain George Francis said the owner of the house worked for a rock-blasting company: “It may be an accident, we don’t […]