Cape Town

The commission of inquiry into allegations that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is blacklisting political commentators announced on Thursday that it had finished hearing evidence and hoped to present a report next month. Former SABC boss Zwelakhe Sisulu and advocate Gilbert Marcus said in a statement that they heard ”a final round of submissions” this week.

The South African government programme in fighting HIV/Aids ”is based on the belief that HIV does cause Aids”, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said at a post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday. His statement follows years of what he described as ”political bickering” over the Aids issue.

The South African Observer Mission (SAOM) to the July 30 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo has declared the elections free and fair. ”The SAOM concludes that the DRC’s presidential and legislative elections were democratic, peaceful, credible and remarkably transparent,” Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George told a media briefing in Cape Town.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged the government to use the opportunity wisely when South Africa joins the United Nations Security Council next year. ”The DA welcomes President [Thabo] Mbeki’s announcement that South Africa will take up a two-year non-permanent seat on the Security Council in January 2007,” DA spokesperson Douglas Gibson said on Wednesday.

Insurance industry figures show car hijackings in South Africa have hit new highs, says the Democratic Alliance. ”Insurance firms and tracking companies have indicated car hijackings have increased from 12 434 in 2004/05 to over 15 864 so far this year — exceeding highs last recorded in 2001/02,” DA safety and security deputy spokesperson Ryno King said in a statement on Tuesday.

South Africa is to take up a two-year, non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council from January 1 next year, President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference after talks with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said he is looking forward to closer cooperation with Russia in this regard.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday morning on an historic two day official visit — the first by a Russian head of state to sub-Saharan Africa. Putin’s aircraft in the Russian state livery of white, blue and red touched down at Cape Town International airport at 7.30am.

After angry exchanges on Monday between the judge and the defence teams in the baby Jordan-Leigh Norton murder trial, the case was postponed to Thursday, when it is likely to be postponed again for some months. Dina Rodrigues and four accomplices, including a juvenile who may not be named, are in the dock.

Outgoing Auditor General Shauket Fakie has lashed out at municipalities that have again failed to submit timeous financial statements for the financial year ended June 30 2005. Only 126 — 44% — of the 284 municipalities complied with the August 31 2005 deadline for submitting their 2004/05 financial statements, the auditor general said.

South African President Thabo Mbeki is to host his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week to discuss issues aimed at strengthening relations between South Africa and the Russian Federation — with the emphasis falling on economic relations. Putin is also scheduled to meet business leaders during his two-day visit starting on Tuesday.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has sprung to the defence of Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu — who recently urged that former deputy president Jacob Zuma should not become president — following what he describes as a ”truly distressing personal attack” on the archbishop by the Congress of South African Students.

Proposed changes to the Films and Publications Act could leave the Constitution ”in tatters”, media representatives told the government on Thursday. The two sides met in Cape Town for what they said afterwards was a ”frank and comprehensive” discussion on the amendments, which were approved by Cabinet last week.

The Democratic Alliance has threatened to refer the issue of an alleged R22-million presidential retirement house to the Public Protector if the facts reveal any wrongdoing. DA spokesperson Sydney Opperman said on Thursday that according to Noseweek magazine, the public works department is building a presidential retirement house to the value of R22-million.

Pursuing solutions, rather than calling for more police, prisons and harsher sentences, are needed when addressing the current crime wave, according to a report released on Wednesday. The document — Building the Peace: A Kairos on Violent Crime — was drawn up by religious, political, business, academic and media leaders, and made public at a launch in Cape Town.

Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) chairperson Zackie Achmat on Wednesday appealed directly to his African National Congress (ANC) ”comrades” to support the TAC’s call for the minister of health to be sacked. Achmat made the call during a special address to the Cape Town city council.