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/ 28 September 2004

Debswana strike: ‘The struggle continues’

Botswana’s appeal court on Tuesday upheld a ruling declaring a two-week strike by diamond miners illegal, leaving about 400 workers who were sacked during the industrial action with no prospect of being re-hired. ”We won the case and the union lost it with costs,” said Parks Tafa, a lawyer for the Debswana Diamond Company, the world’s leading producer by value of the precious stone.

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/ 28 September 2004

Resources fuel JSE’s rally

The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa was racing ahead in noon trade on Tuesday, fuelled by rampant resources stocks. The rest of the market was flat. By 12h00, the all share index was up 1,07%. Resources soared 2,7%, with the gold and platinum mining indices picking up 0,49% and 0,22% respectively.

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/ 28 September 2004

Mbeki says political assassins will be nailed

President Thabo Mbeki has strongly criticised those intent on continuing political assassinations reminiscent of the apartheid regime, vowing that perpetrators will be brought to book. Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, he referred to last week’s murder of the former speaker of the Estcourt Municipal Council, Stanley Chetty, who had switched to the ANC during the recent floor-crossing period.

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/ 28 September 2004

‘Blue light’ gang convicted

Two former military policemen and five other members of the so-called ”blue light gang” were convicted on numerous charges resulting from a series of robberies and murders in the Pretoria High Court on Monday. A security guard and a policeman were killed, five cars hijacked, a woman abducted, numerous firearms robbed and more than R300 000 taken in a series of hijackings and robberies between September 2000 and August 2001.

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/ 28 September 2004

‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’ case laid to rest

A music publishing house in the United States has offered to pay all future royalties on the song Wimoweh to the family of its South African author, lawyers for the late composer Solomon Linda said on Monday. New York-based TRO/Folkways has also offered to contribute to the erection of a memorial structure for Linda, law firm Spoor & Fischer said in a statement.

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/ 28 September 2004

Spanish group vying for Gautrain contract

Spanish construction group ACS-Dragados is vying with a Franco-Canadian-led consortium for the right to build a high-speed rail link in South Africa ready for the 2010 World Cup finals, the Spanish financial daily La Gaceta reported on Monday. The 1,2-billion dollar (R7,6-billion) project would link Pretoria with Johannesburg and the Johannesburg International airport, about 80km further south.