Cape Town

The South African Cabinet has urged members of the media to respect the dignity of the office of Deputy President Jacob Zuma ”and not (to) impugn his integrity on the basis of allegations not proven in a court of law”. Government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe noted the Cabinet as saying: ”With regard to matters relating to the deputy president in particular, government has noted his public response to the allegations, and takes him at his word.”

The horror and trauma of being in Pollsmoor Prison, awaiting trial, has left him feeling like a ”piece of human garbage”, convicted paedophile Wiliam John Creasey told the Wynberg Regional Court on Tuesday. After his tearful outbursts on Monday brought his trial to a halt, he assured defence attorney Van Zyl Loots that he was sufficiently recomposed to proceed with his testimony in mitigation of sentence.

South Africa’s Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils says the polarised world order of the Cold War era has given way to ”more uncertainty and unpredictability,” but this new order was here to stay. Kasrils was speaking at a national security conference in Pretoria — on the theme ”Reviewing National Security after 10 Years of Democracy” — on Tuesday.

Tearful outbursts by convicted paedophile William John Creasey on Monday brought his trial in the Wynberg Regional Court to a halt. The 55-year-old teacher is to be sentenced, probably this week, on nine counts of indecent assault involving three teenage boys, and for possession of child pornography.

Experts say childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, with 155-million school age kids overweight or just plain fat. South Africa is no exception. According to the Heart Foundation, 12% of children in the country are
obese.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has poked fun at newspaper speculation about his successor, saying two correct predictions had been made. He stated at the South African Local Government Association conference at a convention centre in Cape Town on Wednesday: ”I have been told that some in our media have very recently been involved in a strange debate evidently to answer the question — what happens when Mbeki goes?!”

Gun shop owners are taking the police to court in a bid to get information on the workings of the central firearm registry. This comes in the wake of reports that no legal firearms have been sold in South Africa since the new and tougher firearms Act came into force on July 1.

The Scorpions on Monday arrested a fourth man as a result of their ongoing investigations in conjunction with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) into the alleged fraudulent activities of the former joint chief executives of Leisurenet, Peter Gardener and Rodney Mitchell.

Mark Thatcher won a two-month reprieve on Tuesday from a court order that he answer questions from Equatorial Guinea about his alleged involvement in a coup plot in the oil-rich nation, his lawyer said. Judge John Hlophe granted a request from state prosecutors that Thatcher’s testimony initially scheduled for Wednesday be postponed to November 26, said lawyer Alan Bruce-Brand.

The government was finalising a multi-million rand aviation security plan, which would provide resources to secure airports around the country, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe confirmed on Monday. ”We [the government] are in the final stages of finalising the national aviation security plan,” and the plan would be put into effect ”as soon as possible”.

Mark Thatcher has won a reprieve from a South African court order that he testify under oath about his alleged involvement in a plot to stage a coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, his lawyer said on Monday. State prosecutors have asked a Cape Town court to delay the testimony scheduled for Wednesday, when the son of a British former prime minister was to answer questions put to him by the Malabo goverment.