South Africa’s Scorpions have arrested four people, three of whom work for cigarette producer Mastermind Tobacco SA, for allegedly being involved in a R48-million VAT fraud scheme in which cigarettes meant for export were instead sold in South Africa.
Mercenaries could soon be prosecuted under the about-to-be amended Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Wednesday. ”We have information that [South African citizens] are involved in actual fighting in the actual conflict [in foreign countries],” he said.
The Democratic Alliance has again reported Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), saying the latest statements by the minister mean the council can no longer ignore her.
The mercury plunged in the Northern Cape town of Sutherland this week, hitting a near-record minus 15 degrees Celcius on Monday night. Resident Mariana Bernardo, who collects data for the South African Weather Service, said it came close to the lowest temperature ever recorded in South Africa, which was minus 16C, also recorded in Sutherland, on the night of July 21, 2003.
Prisons have released 17 356 sentenced offenders since the special remission of sentence for offenders started on June 13, the government announced in Pretoria on Wednesday. The special amnesty was granted by President Thabo Mbeki in an effort to reduce the pressure caused by overcrowding in prisons.
Church’s Chicken, the world’s second largest fried chicken franchise, will soon be spreading its wings over the Western Cape. This follows the acquisition by a Stellenbosch-based company, Inkuku Holdings Ltd, of the American rights to establish a minimum of 50 Church’s Chicken outlets over the next five years.
The man who illegally processed cash for the Democratic Alliance that may have come from now-jailed fraudster Jurgen Harksen has been appointed the party’s provincial director in the Western Cape. Erik Marais paid a R10Â 000 fine in 2003 for violating foreign exchange regulations after his role was exposed in hearings of the Desai commission of inquiry.
It has emerged that Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang held a private one-on-one meeting with controversial vitamin entrepreneur Mathias Rath earlier this year. In reply to a Democratic Alliance question in Parliament, Tshabalala-Msimang also refused to distance herself from Rath’s claims about his vitamins curing Aids.
After what was described as ”a cordial and constructive meeting” with the South African Rugby Union CEO, Springbok coach Jake White seemed set on Monday to stay on as coach for the foreseeable future. White had threatened to quit on the eve of the second French Test, protesting interference with his team selections.
The loyalty of the overwhelming majority of South Africans to the Freedom Charter’s vision has made the country what it is today, which many have described as a miracle, President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday. Mbeki painted a moving picture of the Freedom Charter — the 50th anniversary of which is to be commemorated at Kliptown on Sunday.
South Africa’s ruling Africa National Congress’s (ANC’s) documents suggest that government is beginning to embrace the Democratic Alliance (DA) economic policies, says official opposition leader Tony Leon. "We have persuaded the ANC to adopt significant DA policy proposals, such as our ‘prisons Policy’", Leon says.
The Independent Democrat’s former Western Cape leader Lennit Max and his lawyer walked out of his disciplinary hearing in Cape Town on Friday. The walk-out came after independent presiding officer Sarah Christie refused to adjourn proceedings for Max to bring a high court application for a Christie’s recusal.
There must be no room for corruption or nepotism in municipalities, Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel said on Thursday. ”Nobody’s going to benefit, nobody’s spouse is going to benefit. The rules are going to be clear and we will ensure that the incentives and disincentives are in place,” he said on Thursday.
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has announced that five members of Parliament "involved in the travel investigation" — now known as Travelgate — have resigned from Parliament. They are Ruth Bhengu, Mildred Mpaka, Rhoda Joemat, Pamela Mnandi and Mavis Magazi.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who was appointed as the new deputy president on Wednesday, is known as the architect of the empowerment charter that is transforming South Africa’s mining industry. But opposition parties say there are serious — and unanswered — questions hanging over her head.
President Thabo Mbeki has appointed Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as deputy president to replace Jacob Zuma, who was sacked last week. Mbeki made the announcement during a press conference following the Cabinet’s fortnightly meeting at Tuynhuys on Wednesday.
South Africans were on tenterhooks on Wednesday ahead of the announcement by President Thabo Mbeki of his new deputy. Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel and Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka have emerged as the frontrunners for the post.
President Thabo Mbeki is expected to name South Africa’s new deputy president on Wednesday. Government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe said Mbeki would make a ”relevant announcement” with regard to changes in his Cabinet. When asked if the announcement would include that of a new deputy president, Khumalo said: ”I assume it will.”
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is going to make sure vitamin entrepreneur Matthias Rath gets arrested, TAC chairperson Zackie Achmat said on Tuesday. The TAC is seeking to stop Rath and his Dr Rath Foundation from claiming that it is acting as a front for the pharmaceutical industry in promoting antiretroviral drugs for people with Aids.
Senior members of the judiciary were present on Tuesday when Minister of Justice Brigitte Mabandla officially opened the Equality court in the Cape High court. ”It is my hope that this Equality court will be successful in further eradicating the legacy of inequality and at the same time enhance our ability to bring justice closer to an increasing mass of our people,” said Mabandla.
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Former deputy president Jacob Zuma has welcomed the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision to charge him on two counts of corruption. The ANC’s National Working Committee said it had accepted Zuma’s request to ”withdraw his participation from all ANC structures pending the completion of the legal process.” Zuma will however remain ANC deputy president.
Côte d’Ivoire peace talks scheduled for Pretoria this weekend were postponed on Monday because not all parties could attend, said a spokesperson from the office of South African president Thabo Mbeki. ”We are trying to get all parties down here,” said Bheki Khumalo, adding that a future date had not yet been proposed.
The director general in the presidency, Frank Chikane, has been asked by an opposition MP to investigate whether the Minister of Social Development, Zola Skweyiya, may have contravened the Executive Members’ Ethics Act. The question has been raised of whether a payment to Skweyiya constitutes an attempt to buy influence.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will — by the end of July — appoint a service provider to identify the top 50 air polluting industries or sectors in South Africa, said Minister Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Monday. "The web of life is more than just a poetic idea, it is a reality that defines our biggest social, economic and developmental challenges," he said.
The United States business community sees great potential for growth in the relationship between the US and South Africa, with more and more US businesses interested in investing in, exporting to, and importing from this country, according to Thomas Donohue, president of the US Chamber of Commerce.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, national chairperson of the South African Communist Party, has been named as axed Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s successor as Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly. This may be an indication of whom the president has in mind to fill the Deputy President’s shoes but the Presidency was still not telling on Friday morning.
The firing of Deputy President Jacob Zuma was only a bid to divert attention from the government’s multi-billion rand arms deal, activist Terry Crawford-Browne charged on Wednesday. Browne said that instead of acknowledging that the state succumbed to European pressures to buy armaments, President Thabo Mbeki was making Zuma a ”sacrificial lamb”.
The World Bank’s board of directors has approved a project to manage groundwater and drought in the Southern African region to be executed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the bank announced on Wednesday. The Groundwater and Drought Management project will cost ,5-million.
The African National Congress National Working Committee is to soon make public its decision on what action will be taken against Members of Parliament who have already been found guilty of defrauding parliament. Eight MPs have plea-bargained in the so-called "Travelgate" scam — involving the misuse of travel vouchers provided to Members of Parliament.
Lawyers representing black economic empowerment company Imvume Management have declined to provide the Democratic Alliance with information regarding its transactions and contract with state oil and gas company PetroSA and Glencore International. This follows a report in the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> on the "Oilgate" scandal.
There was still no clarity on Wednesday as to when President Thabo Mbeki will announce Jacob Zuma’s successor as deputy president — but an acting president has to be appointed to fill the shoes of Mbeki when he is in Nigeria on Sunday.
A 14-year-old boy has died after apparently being asphyxiated by fumes from a brazier at an initiation school in Port Elizabeth, the Eastern Cape health department said on Tuesday. The police have opened an inquest docket, and a post-mortem will be conducted to establish the exact cause of his death.