Cape Town

Cape Town mayor Helen Zille and provincial local government and housing minister Richard Dyantyi have reached a compromise over the future of the city government in the Mother City, it was announced at a press conference called by national Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi on Tuesday.

Ministers in the social services and governance cluster face questions in the second chamber of Parliament, the National Council of Provinces, on Tuesday afternoon — including one to the Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri about the progress made in setting up a second national operator (SNO).

The peace and security cluster of ministers face questions from MPs in the National Assembly this week — including one to the minister of safety and security on whether he had set his own targets for crime reduction. The questions take place on Wednesday afternoon, following a series of questions to the Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Question time starts at 3pm.

Caddies at the world Amateur Team Golf Championships, being played at Stellenbosch, went on strike on Saturday morning over a pay dispute. Chairperson of the Caddy Institute of South Africa Barry Stemmet said that play had got under way, but that the players — of which there were just over 200 from 45 countries — were being given golf carts instead of caddies.

South Africa’s opposition parties, which kowtow to the ruling party, have only themselves to blame ”if the deadening hand of a de facto one-party state threatens” to encircle the country, says official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon. In his regular Friday online column, SA Today, the DA leader Leon slammed Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats.

South Africa’s Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was discharged from the Johannesburg General Hospital on Friday, her office said in a statement. The minister — who received treatment for a lung infection — said in the statement: "I am very glad that I have been discharged today [Friday] after being in the hospital for the past three weeks.

The 2010 Fifa World Cup holds untold benefits for South Africa and all citizens need to ensure its success, Cabinet urged on Thursday. ”Cabinet would like to reassure all South Africans that preparations are not only on track, but are also at an advanced stage, and that South Africa will be ready to host the first African Fifa World Cup,” government communications head Themba Maseko said.

The African National Congress orchestrated Thursday’s taxi violence in Cape Town in a bid to disrupt a Democratic Alliance-led ”save democracy” march, according to city mayor Helen Zille.

Much progress is being made in revamping the South African National Aids Council and boosting the fight against HIV/Aids, government communications head Themba Maseko said on Thursday. The revised comprehensive plan to combat and manage HIV/Aids is now being finalised, he told journalists after Cabinet’s fortnightly Wednesday meeting.

Cabinet on Thursday expressed its deep concern about the spate of attacks on, and killings of, Somalis in some parts of South Africa, as well as the impressions this creates. Briefing the media at Parliament after Wednesday’s fortnightly Cabinet meeting, government communications head Themba Maseko said these attacks had fuelled impressions that South Africans were xenophobic.

South Africa’s Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang’s condition is ”not too serious”, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday. He said the minister’s condition is improving and it is expected she will be released from hospital in the next ”couple of days”. Asked what she is suffering from, Maseko said it was up to the minister to communicate the details of her condition.

The South African Cabinet renewed its pledge on Thursday to counter rampant crime around the country, saying ”tremendous progress” is being made, but more community involvement was necessary. ”Government is and will continue to take the fight to the criminals who must be made to feel that crime does not pay,” said government communications head Themba Maseko.

A bus was burned and two were hijacked during a violent protest by taxi drivers in Cape Town on Thursday morning, the Golden Arrow bus company said. One of the hijacked buses was used to block off the N2 highway. Bus passengers and drivers were injured by shattered glass due to numerous stonings, the company said.

South Africa swept the boards at the eighth World Masters Squash Championships in Cape Town when the South African players won five gold, five silver and 12 bronze medals. England finished second with six gold, six silver and six bronze while Australia’s tally was five gold, two silver and two bronze.