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.
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/ 14 December 2007
If you wear crocodile shoes, have an elephant leather wallet, or possess an ivory chess set, you will have to have a permit to own them from February 1 2008. If you have a cycad in your garden and you want to give it to your neighbour, you will also have to have a permit.
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/ 14 December 2007
After a protracted delay, South Africa’s tough new laws against sexual abuse will finally enter force on Sunday. The Justice and Constitutional Development Ministry said on Friday that the Sexual Offences Amendment Act will at last give greater protection to victims of sexual crimes.
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/ 14 December 2007
Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool says he was ”disinvited” to speak at Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane’s farewell dinner on Thursday. ”I was most astounded when my office was informed that, under instruction from the Mayor of Cape Town [Helen Zille], I had been disinvited to speak at your farewell,” Rasool wrote.
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/ 13 December 2007
The proposed relocation of residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement is a bid to reverse century-old wrongs, the Cape High Court was told on Thursday. Cape Judge President John Hlophe was hearing an application by provincial authorities for permission to relocate the community, currently living in shacks alongside Cape Town’s N2 highway.
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/ 13 December 2007
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Brigitte Mabandla has until January 15 to file her submissions with the Ginwala commission of inquiry into National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli. According to the rules and timeframes for the inquiry, Pikoli has until January 31 to do the same.
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/ 13 December 2007
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for effective sanction of government departments for failing to answer written parliamentary questions after 233 of its questions went unanswered this year. Thirteen percent (233) of the 1 690 written parliamentary questions posed by the party this year remained unanswered on Wednesday.
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/ 13 December 2007
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President Thabo Mbeki risks being cast aside by his party next week in favour of an arch rival who may yet be charged with corruption. Mbeki still has two years left as head of state but analysts say a defeat at the hands of Jacob Zuma in the African National (ANC) Congress leadership contest could leave him a lame duck.
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/ 12 December 2007
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Controversial African National Congress (ANC) veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has proposed ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma become South Africa’s president in 2009 and that a ”solution” be found for the legal difficulties confronting him. According to a statement issued by her office, Madikizela-Mandela on Wednesday spelled out her ”intervention proposal”.
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/ 12 December 2007
The Cape High Court is to deliver judgement on Thursday morning in an application launched by about 20 000 residents of the Joe Slovo informal settlement to stop their eviction and relocation. After hearing argument all day on Wednesday for and against the evictions, Judge President John Hlophe said he needed time to think about everything.
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/ 12 December 2007
The City of Cape Town on Wednesday released details of its plans for a multimillion-rand ”facelift” for the historic Greenmarket Square — South Africa’s second-oldest public square. The square, in the heart of Cape Town’s central business district, turns 300 on March 10 2010.
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/ 12 December 2007
There is no longer any excuse for any country to ignore climate change and South Africa will contribute its fair share, Environmental Affairs Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Wednesday. Speaking at the United Nations climate-change conference in Bali, he said 12 years after the Kyoto Protocol the world was faced with further alarming scientific findings.
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/ 12 December 2007
Nationwide Airlines is gradually resuming its operations, with three of its 17 aircraft already back in service. The airline’s Boeing 767-300 service to London, which resumed last week, is operating as normal and two of its 737-500 aircraft are now being used on domestic flights, company spokesperson Charmaine Thome said on Wednesday.