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/ 2 February 2005

Johncom shares surge to new high

Shares in media and entertainment group Johnnic Communications (Johncom) soared to a record high on Wednesday on continued speculation that Caxton is to make a bid for the group. By 2.57pm, Johncom shares surged 5,88% or two rand to R36, although only 5 000 shares had traded in one deal.

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/ 2 February 2005

Leading clerics denounce Iraq election

Iraq’s leading Sunni Muslim clerics said on Wednesday the landmark elections lack legitimacy because large numbers of Sunnis did not participate in the balloting — which the clerics had asked them to boycott. Meanwhile, the Mosul police chief has demanded that insurgents hand over weapons within two weeks.

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/ 2 February 2005

Stern warning for E Cape health managers

Health managers in the Eastern Cape face censure and possible dismissal if they do not deal with complaints about negligence at hospitals under their care, health minister Bevan Goqwana said on Wednesday. In a statement, Goqwana warned quality assurance managers to ”pull up their socks or ship out”.

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/ 2 February 2005

IFP shocked at suspension of top official

The Inkatha Freedom Party has expressed its shock at the suspension of Compensation Fund commissioner Bongiwe Ncube, apparently under investigation for management irregularities. ”The IFP demands that the case be discussed openly,” IFP labour spokesperson Prince Nhlahla Zulu said in a statement on Wednesday.

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/ 2 February 2005

Lion trial: Witness fled from air gun

A ”no-name brand” air gun was indeed the weapon pointed at her from the tree that murder victim Nelson Chisale was tied to in January this year, a domestic worker testified on Wednesday. She was giving evidence in the trial of three men accused of feeding Chisale to lions after assaulting him on a Limpopo farm.

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/ 2 February 2005

Strong vehicle sales for new year

New vehicle sales for 2005 have started on a strong note, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) said on Wednesday. It said aggregate combined new vehicle sales at 40 627 units registered an improvement of 7 026 units or 20,9%, compared to 33 601 units sold during the corresponding month last year.

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/ 2 February 2005

Risks of reporting

Don’t take it for granted that there was television news of the Iraq poll at the weekend. It’s fairly special that we could learn that 60% of Iraqis voted, despite more than 40 people being killed, including several suicide bombs in Baghdad. It’s a bunch of journalists in that strife-torn country who brought us this news. Courageous people? Crazy people? Maybe a mixture?