The government needs a plan to deal with the increasing number of cash-in-transit heists and other armed robberies, especially over the festive season, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Wednesday. ”Government must take urgent steps to ensure a safe festive season,” DA spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said in a statement.
The licence to operate the national lottery has been awarded to Gidani, Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa announced on Wednesday. Mpahlwa told journalists in Pretoria — at a briefing beamed to Parliament in Cape Town — that it had a significant black economic empowerment component and government was a 20% shareholder.
A cry for help from a man desperate for a date was one of two million text messages sent to Indonesia’s president since he set up the service last year, a report said on Wednesday. ”I need a job Mr President! I also need a wife and I want to have a date! Please help me! You are the president, right?” said one of the messages sent to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The JSE was mixed by midday on Wednesday, with the resources index 341 points in the red, but some buying interest was starting to stir in industrials, retailers and banks, as well as gold. By 12.27pm, the all-share index was up 0,12%, or 28 points, with financials and industrials still leading the way as they moved up 0,84% and 0,82% respectively.
Johannesburg residents had every reason to hope for a prosperous future, said the Democratic Alliance (DA) as it wished the City of Johannesburg a happy 120th birthday on Wednesday. ”What it will take is sound planning, a strong will to succeed and a belief that we have the talent to make things work,” said Johannesburg councillor Mike Moriarty in a statement.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini made history on Tuesday when he became the first player to be named one of the five Mutual & Federal South Africa Cricket Annual’s Cricketers of the Year for a record fifth time. The other players honoured at the awards dinner were fast bowler Dale Steyn, batsmen Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince, and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni on Tuesday evening flagged as important the upward bias in place in consumer price index inflation to 5% in August 2006 and said that while inflation had remained within the target band in recent months, price pressures had started mounting due to increases in oil, food, sustained consumer demand and the depreciation in the rand.
Zimbabwean authorities have once again locked horns with the country’s independent media after a state watchdog accused the journalists’ union of disseminating propaganda against President Robert Mugabe’s regime. The complaint was filed against the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists days after a case against an independent radio station was thrown out of court.
A repeat of last month’s Italian Grand Prix in Japan this weekend would be Michael Schumacher’s dream and Fernando Alonso’s nightmare. Ferrari’s Schumacher can clinch an unprecedented eighth world championship at Suzuka if he wins and Renault’s Alonso fails to score a point — exactly what happened at Monza two races ago.
South Africa go to the Champions Trophy in India as the world’s second-ranked one-day international team, determined to play the ”brave cricket” pledged by coach Mickey Arthur. The mantra was given expression when South Africa made a then-world record 438 for nine to chase down a seemingly insurmountable Australian total.