Justin Arenstein Former Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa has assembled a rogue’s gallery of disgraced politicians and shady financiers to fund his new R390-million casino hotel development in Maputo. The deal is one of a series involving Phosa and other prominent Mpumalanga figures under investigation by South Africa’s Scorpions unit and police commercial crime teams. Scorpions […]
Paul Kirk A trio of former Durban policemen who openly flaunt the sizeable fortunes they amassed while in the service of the organised crime unit were arrested this week for, among other things, running an extortion racket. The suspended head of the KwaZulu-Natal organised crime unit, Piet Meyer, and two of his closest friends – […]
Olympics Mark Ouma Having learned from her mistakes at the Atlanta Olympics four years ago, Gabriela Szabo plans to fulfil her dream of becoming an Olympic champion in Sydney next September. The 1999 World Female Athlete of the Year, Szabo intends to continue her success this year. What has never come to light before is […]
Grant Shimmin OLYMPICS With many of the athletes who’ll be their national team-mates in Sydney in September already named, the battle to get to this year’s Olympics is just beginning for most of the country’s finest track and field exponents as the European season gets into full swing. In fact, the sport’s biggest circuit could […]
Mercedes Sayagues Why was Grace Mugabe sulking during her husband’s final campaign rally in Harare last Saturday? It could have been the low turnout – a mere 5E000 compared with the 100E000 who greeted Robert Mugabe on his return from exile 20 years ago. Or perhaps it was the three-hour delay in starting, while frantic […]
Steve Bunce BOXING When Cindy Zamudio torched the toilets at her high school in Los Angeles she had no idea she was on her way to the boxing ring. She was ready for a career in prison. Zamudio is 18 years old and 121kg. She is the super-heavyweight amateur champion of the United States and […]
Growing up in abject poverty has never left general secretary of Cosatu Zwelinzima Vavi; it has informed who he is Glenda Daniels When Zwelinzima Vavi pours me tea from a hot enamel teapot, he uses his tie to protect his fingers from getting burnt. Standing, he looks down from an impressive 6 foot 4 and, […]
ETHIOPIA has called on the international community to intervene on behalf of its nationals living in Eritrea, whom it claimed have been subjected to an “intensive campaign of hatred.” A foreign ministry communique said Eritrea’s sizeable Ethiopian community had suffered “persistent acts of reprisals and racist incitement (carried out) by the Eritrean government.” The statement […]
SOUTH Africa’s second local government elections should be held on December 2, the Independent Electoral Commission has proposed. Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi is likely to announce a date by the second week of July. The constitution says municipal elections should be held between November 1 and January 31 next year.
A PENSIONER who made telephonic death threats to then deputy president Thabo Mbeki has been jailed for five years by a Cape Town magistrate. Theo James Keown, 51, of Parow,made the first threat in a telephone call to Tuynhuys on May 27 last year, and the remaining four to the African National Congress’ office in […]