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/ 14 September 2004

Indian president’s ‘pilgrimage’ to SA

They originally came as indentured workers but almost 150 years later, South Africa’s million-plus people of Indian origin have carved out a special place in the country’s political and economic landscape. The community of about 1,2-million people is made up largely of descendants of labourers who worked in sugarcane plantations, most of whom were herded onto ships to South Africa by British colonial rulers.

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/ 14 September 2004

Tying the rainbow knot

Interracial marriages among South Africans are increasing. Coloureds are the most likely to marry outside their group, while Africans, followed by whites, are the least likely. Africans are 7 332 times more likely to marry each other than outside their group. The 1996 and 2001 census figures show that the vast majority of people are still married to someone of the same racial group.

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/ 14 September 2004

Disco dress code: Boogie in the buff

As dress codes go, the new rules for the Allen Roc discotheque could not be simpler — leave your clothes behind. All of them. The club has organised what it claims is Europe’s first nudist disco night, telling bouncers not to admit the bashful and only those prepared to boogie in the buff.

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/ 14 September 2004

US troops face new torture claims

Allegations that American soldiers routinely tortured and maltreated detainees have emerged from a third Iraqi city, renewing fears that abuse similar to that inflicted in Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad has been systematic and widespread. American soldiers in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul beat and stripped detainees, threatened sexual abuse and forced them to listen to loud Western music, according to statements seen by The Guardian.

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/ 14 September 2004

Shantytown shebeen

The only thing I miss of the old South Africa is the raucous shebeen life that gave such colour to drab townships. "We all ask for more of the shebeen life of yesterday," lamented Jacky Heyns in <i>Drum</i> in December 1993. "Today all South Africa’s drinkers are relegated to humdrum legitimate liquor lounges …The only way to save South Africa is to reintroduce prohibition!"

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/ 14 September 2004

Stronger rand weighs on JSE

The JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) was weaker, but off its worst levels, in noon trade on Tuesday, having been driven primarily by the rand. At noon, the all-share and all-share industrial indices were 0,37% and 0,26% weaker respectively. Financials fell 0,25% and the banks index was 0,21% in the red.