Cape Town

Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and his cronies deserve severe punishment and should spend the rest of their lives behind bars, but he should not have received the death sentence, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Tuesday.

South Africa’s top leadership should set a better example on corruption if the country is to improve its rating on perceived levels of corruption, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday. ”Corruption scandals involving government officials and public representatives continue to undermine the country’s image,” the DA said.

Both President Thabo Mbeki and former president FW de Klerk will attend PW Botha’s funeral on Wednesday. Botha, who was head of the government from 1978 to 1989, died peacefully at his Wildnerness home last week, aged 90. The Presidency said Mbeki had emphasised the need for a ”balanced” appraisal of Botha’s life.

A South African inventor claims to have found a solution to a common romantic mood spoiler — putting on a male condom. A Capetonian is marketing his Pronto condom as an answer to the annoyance of tearing off condom wrappers and figuring out the right way up, saying his patent can be donned in less than three seconds.

As summer descends on Cape Town, visitors and locals are swapping bikinis for ponchos at the coastal city’s latest and undoubtedly coolest attraction — a cocktail lounge made entirely of ice. Sixty tonnes of frozen water have been used to construct the Ice Lounge in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront complex.

The Directorate of Special Operations of the National Prosecuting Authority has raided two homes of former Limpopo premier Ngoako Ramatlhodi, he said in a statement on Friday. The raids relate to allegations made against him with respect to alleged corruption in Limpopo, he said.

The two men accused of the murders of actor Brett Goldin and fashion designer Richard Bloom will go on trial in the Cape High Court in March next year, the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court heard on Friday. Magistrate Hafeesa Mohamed remanded Clinton Davids (22) and Shavaan Marlie (25) to December 14.

The nine provinces have vastly improved their spending patterns in the first six months of 2006/07, the National Treasury said on Thursday. They spent on average 45,2% or R82,7-billion of their combined budgets of R183-billion. ”This represents a spending increase year-on-year of 11,4% or R8,4-billion higher than for the same period last year,” the Treasury said in a statement.

South Africa’s two biggest opposition parties , the Democratic Alliance (DP) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), are sceptical of Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula’s proposal to lengthen the 48-hour period before an arrested suspect has to appear in court. The DA said on Thursday it was outrageous for Nqakula to call for the constitutionally enshrined detention period to be extended.

Andre Petim, the Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper, secured a place for his side in the next round of the Telkom Cup knockout competition by saving two penalities against the Golden Arrows at Greenpoint Stadium on Wednesday night. Ajax won 4-2 on penalties when the game was forced into extra time.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the ministerial review commission on intelligence announced by Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils on Wednesday. ”In particular, we are pleased with the clearly transparent process and public involvement,” DA spokesperson Paul Swart said in a statement.

President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday joined other world leaders in congratulating Brazil’s President Lula da Silva on his re-election. ”I have the honour to convey on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of South Africa, sincere congratulations on your re-election as president of the Federative Republic of Brazil,” Mbeki said in a message to Da Silva.

Visitors to South Africa’s trendy Cape Town waterfront this summer can get iced drinks, served in glasses made of ice, while they relax on ice amid ice sculptures. The city is the latest worldwide to play host to an ”ice lounge”, which saw local organisers import 45 tons of structural ice from Canada and manufacture a further 10 tons locally for the construction.

Sir Nicholas Stern, the man whose recent report on the grim economic realities of climate change has rung alarm bells around the world, is to brief the South African government on his findings early next year. ”[He] has accepted an invitation … to present the findings of his review … in January 2007,” the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism said in a statement on Tuesday.

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.