President Thabo Mbeki has not received any papers requesting him to appear before the Constitutional Court to explain his sacking of former spy boss Billy Masetlha, his office said on Thursday. This follows Masetlha lodging leave to appeal a high court decision that rejected his application to be reinstated as director general of the National Intelligence Agency.
The last AM Live radio show to be hosted by John Perlman will be on Friday, the SABC said. ”Friday is the last day,” said SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago. The popular broadcaster resigned in January after nine years of presenting the morning current-affairs programme.
Two major bus lines were affected on Thursday as the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) embarked on a national strike. Union spokesperson Ronnie Mamba said 104 Translux and City to City bus trips were affected. Fifty-two buses had not left Johannesburg on scheduled daily national and international trips and a further 52 Gauteng-bound buses were also affected.
A burglar broke into a café in northern Zimbabwe in the dead of night, packed his loot and promptly fell asleep, it was reported on Thursday. Police in the town of Bindura had an easy job catching their man as he only woke up when he was being handcuffed, the official Herald newspaper reported.
The Zimbabwean government has admitted that state agents are jamming radio broadcasts by foreign stations deemed hostile to President Robert Mugabe’s government, state media reported on Thursday. "We cannot allow foreigners to invade our airwaves without our authority," Bright Matonga, the Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity, was quoted as saying.
Cricket’s world governing body says that players at the upcoming World Cup will be target tested for drugs. In addition to the already announced four random tests at each match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) says that 17 of the scheduled 51 games in the Caribbean will be selected for additional testing.
Six-time champions the Canterbury Crusaders can put the heat on the table-topping Auckland Blues and the Wellington Hurricanes by ending the unbeaten run of the Natal Sharks in Durban on Saturday. The Crusaders burst back into title contention with a spectacular 49-28 win over the Central Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last weekend.
Santos reached the last 16 of the lucrative Absa knockout competition on Wednesday night when they narrowly beat Free State Stars 1-0 in a match played at the Athlone Stadium. The goal was scored by Erwin Isaacs in the 75th minute. The visitors were unlucky to lose as they were the better team on the night. It is clear why Free State Stars are leading the second division.
Mamelodi Sundowns made it 10 victories from their last 10 matches by beating Wits University 2-0 in an absorbing Premier League game at Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night. But although leading 2-0 at half-time and possessing what at times suggested was a touch of extra class, the defending PSL champions and runaway log leaders did not have matters all their own way.
Beijing officials are planning to round up beggars and ship them out of the city as part of clean-up campaign ahead of next year’s Olympics Games, according to state media reports on Thursday. It said Beijing officials planned to expand holding centres for beggars who would then be shipped back to their home provinces.