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/ 11 January 2008
The infrastructure of the Transkei is collapsing, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa has told President Thabo Mbeki in an open letter. ”When Transkeians supported change … they had a legitimate expectation that misery will, for the first time, be a thing of the past,” he said in the letter.
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/ 10 January 2008
The Western Cape does not have problems with either teacher numbers or places for pupils, provincial education minister Cameron Dugmore said on Thursday. He was speaking following reports of shortages in both areas in some inland provinces where schools opened this week.
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/ 10 January 2008
Talks are under way to explore the possibility of South Africa being invited to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — the so-called "rich man’s club" of nations. The 30 OECD countries have already given the green light for the start of accession talks with five prospective new members.
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/ 10 January 2008
Kagiso Trust announced on Thursday the death of its chairperson, Yunus Mahomed. He was 57. He died on Sunday. Kgotso Schoeman, chief executive of Kagiso Trust, said: "Yunus, or YM as he was affectionately known, was a passionate and consistent leader."
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/ 10 January 2008
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Thursday that he did not have any concerns about the direction fiscal policy might take following the victory of Jacob Zuma at the African National Congress’s leadership conference in Polokwane last month. He said fears about fiscal policy were just so much hype.
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/ 10 January 2008
Helen Zille, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance and mayor of Cape Town, has called on President Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, the leader of the African National Congress, to convene an urgent meeting to discuss how they plan to prevent their conflict from paralysing the government.
Peter de Villiers made history on Wednesday by being named as the first black coach of the world-champion Springbok rugby team, before making clear he would pick his teams based on merit, not colour. De Villiers, currently coach of the Under-21 side, was the surprise choice of the South African Rugby Union to succeed Jake White.
A British citizen working as a radio DJ in Taiwan conned three accommodation establishments during a short holiday in Cape Town, cheated a jeweller and a cellphone business, and ended his spree trying to take the police for a ride as well. This was heard in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The Erasmus commission, set up to probe Cape Town’s ”spy” saga, has extended the deadline for submissions to the end of this month. Announcing this on Wednesday, commission secretary Zithulele Twala said the extension had been requested by the City of Cape Town and private investigators George Fivaz and Associates.
The Statistics Council has not questioned the scientific basis of last year’s Community Survey, council head Howard Gabriels said on Tuesday. He said the fact that it had recommended that Stats South Africa issue a cautionary notice on the reliability of some of the data was standard scientific practice.
The statistics council has not questioned the scientific basis of last year’s Community Survey, council head Howard Gabriels said on Tuesday. And the fact that it had recommended that Statistics South Africa issues a caution on the reliability of some of the data was standard scientific practice, he said.
The new coach of the World Cup-winning Springboks is expected to be named on Wednesday. The technical committee appointed to interview the four short-listed candidates for the vacant South Africa rugby coaching position wrapped up their task of finding a successor to Jake White on Tuesday.
The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday called on Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel to sack the statistician general, Pali Lehohla. Revelations in morning newspapers that a crucial survey by Statistics South Africa contains serious errors has resulted in a serious crisis of confidence in this institution, according to the party.
The newly elected leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) should not undermine South Africa’s economic credibility for petty party political reasons, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. This would be to the detriment of all South Africans, poor and rich, the DA’s deputy finance spokesperson, Kobus Marais, said in a statement.
The task of finding a new South Africa rugby coach shifted up a gear on Monday when the first two candidates for the vacant position were interviewed by the country’s rugby bosses. The favourite for the position, former Bulls boss Heyneke Meyer, and South African under-21 coach Peter de Villiers were subjected to lengthy interviews on Monday.
Former state vice-president Alwyn Schlebusch died in Pretoria on January 7 at the age of 90, his son said. Schlebusch, who served as a National Party MP for two decades and held several Cabinet portfolios, was admitted to the Pretoria East Hospital two weeks ago and was in the intensive-care unit when he died.
The African National Congress (ANC) needs to assure South Africans it will not follow the path that has led to chaos in Kenya, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Monday. ”Events in Kenya have shown us how quickly a combination of cronyism, populism and ethnic mobilisation can destroy a country’s democratic prospects,” she said.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith blasted 85 off 79 balls to guide his team to a seven-wicket win on the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at Newlands on Saturday. Smith’s innings enabled South Africa to square the series with one match to play. Victory with a day to spare seemed unlikely after a heroic effort by West Indian skipper Chris Gayle.
South Africa were in charge on Friday at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against the West Indies at Newlands in Cape Town. The visitors were in trouble on 96-4, for a slender lead of 18. The two teams played a game of cat and mouse for most of the afternoon, as each tried to gain the upper hand, but the South Africans took control as they claimed four vital wickets.
Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher ground out an unbeaten 87-run partnership to enable South Africa to seize a slight advantage as the second day of the second Test against the West Indies developed into a war of attrition at Newlands on Thursday.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a typically patient half-century to anchor a shaky West Indian innings on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday. The West Indies, leading the three-match series 1-0, were 240-8 at the close, with Chanderpaul unbeaten on 64. Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels (51) put on 106 for the fourth wicket.
The West Indies have put their celebrations behind them and are focusing on cricket. That was the message from West Indies captain Chris Gayle on Tuesday on the eve of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Wednesday. The West Indies go into the Test with a 1-0 lead after beating South Africa by 128 runs in the first Test.
There is no need to panic, insisted Proteas cricket coach Mickey Arthur after South Africa’s humiliating 128-run defeat by the West Indies on Saturday afternoon. ”We’ve won four Test series in a row,” said Arthur after the team practice at Newlands on Monday. ”We intend to win this one too.”
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/ 31 December 2007
South Africa called up experienced batsman Neil McKenzie for the second Test against the West Indies starting at Newlands on Wednesday after their shock 128-run defeat in the first match in Port Elizabeth. McKenzie (32) is expected to end a three-and-a-half year exile from Test cricket and open the batting in place of out-of-form Herschelle Gibbs.
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/ 24 December 2007
Campaigners say they are eyeing legal action ”sooner rather than later” to block a bid to change Grahamstown’s name to iRhini. ”All such name changes have to be fully motivated and must reflect the views of the community,” one of the coordinators of the Keep Grahamstown Campaign said in a statement on Monday.
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/ 24 December 2007
Several hundred people who have occupied homes at Delft on the Cape Flats were on Monday on their way to the Cape High Court in a bid to block their impending eviction, a spokesperson said. The occupiers had been unable to secure an interdict at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court earlier in the day.
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/ 23 December 2007
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The battle between President Thabo Mbeki and new African National Congress president Jacob Zuma is far from over, if perceptions conveyed in the Sunday newspapers are anything to go by. An unnamed Mbeki ally was quoted as saying ”all is not lost”.
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/ 22 December 2007
Durban paddler Darryl Bartho snatched victory in the gruelling 56km Men’s Health Cape Point Challenge surf-ski marathon, ending a title drought during which he has regularly been the runner-up in many major events. A delighted Bartho ran up the beach at Fish Hoek to claim the title.
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/ 21 December 2007
South Africa has now entered a new era of expensive, unreliable electricity, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) said on Friday. The 14,2% increase next year is well in excess of current inflation and justified by Eskom as a way of generating financial capacity for essential expansion, FF+ spokesperson Willie Spies said.
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/ 21 December 2007
A Democratic Alliance Cape Town city councillor, Frank Martin, appeared briefly in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Friday after his arrest on Thursday for allegedly encouraging homeless people in Delft to move into houses not allocated to them. Martin was released on R1Â 000 bail by a Bellville prosecutor.
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/ 18 December 2007
Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille has extended by a month the deadline for the independent investigation into various allegations surrounding the city’s so-called spy saga. Zille has appointed Advocate Josie Jordaan of the Cape Bar to lead the investigation into allegations surrounding the George Fivaz and Associates investigation of Councillor Badih Chaaban.
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/ 14 December 2007
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In an eleventh-hour appeal before the African National Congress’s (ANC) national conference starts on Sunday, President Thabo Mbeki on Friday urged delegates to remain faithful to the party’s revolutionary goals. He said it is important that delegates fully understand the responsibility they carry on their shoulders.