Durban

Former captain Bob Skinstad and hard-working loose forward Danie Rossouw have been drafted into the Springbok team for Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test with New Zealand in Durban. Skinstad and Rossouw will take over from the injured Pierre Spies and Juan Smith at number eight and blindside flanker respectively.

The battle between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the eThekwini municipality over controversial plans to rename several Durban streets and landmarks was adjourned on Thursday in the Durban High Court. The DA is asking the court to prevent the municipality from proceeding with the second phase of the renaming process to have the first phase reversed.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday lodged papers in the Durban High Court opposing the eThekwini municipality’s controversial plan to rename Durban’s streets and some of its landmark buildings. The DA is asking the court to prevent the municipality from proceeding with phase two of the renaming process and to have the first phase reversed.

Police arrested about 500 protesting street traders outside the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday following clashes in which a water cannon, pepper spray and stun grenades were used. Police spokesperson Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu could not immediately say exactly how many people were arrested, but estimated the number was about 500.

Durban-born lock Greg Rawlinson returns to his former hometown charged with trying to give the All Blacks a winning start against South Africa in defence of their Tri-Nations rugby crown. Rawlinson received his second Test start — his first since New Zealand was last in South Africa 10 months ago — for this Saturday’s Test at King’s Park Stadium.

Police used a water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse street traders protesting in Durban’s Warwick Triangle area on Monday against the arrest of four of their fellows. The traders, angry over the arrest of four vendors who apparently did not have licences to trade, stoned police officers, passing traffic and police vehicles.

After spending Sunday night in Johannesburg, the All Blacks arrived in Durban on Monday and the management sprung a surprise by naming their side to play South Africa in the Tri-Nations Test at the Absa Stadium on Saturday well ahead of time. Coach Graham Henry said there had been a number of difficult decisions.

The Nurgalieva twins, Olesya and Elena, do not decide beforehand which of them will cross the line ahead of the other when they compete together. For this reason, Olesya, who won the 2007 Comrades Marathon down run, was champion on merit. Meanwhile, an unidentified runner collapsed on the finish line and later died, organisers said.

Harmony Gold team runner Leonid Shvetsov of Russia has set a new mark of five hours, 20 minutes and 49 seconds in winning the 2007 Comrades Marathon down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. He was first across the line at the Sahara Stadium in Durban on Sunday and lived up to his pre-race prediction that he was ready for anything.

The 12 000 runners in the 2007 Comrades Marathon were sent on their way at 6.30am on Sunday from outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to the sounds of a Zulu praise singer and the traditional Chariots of Fire theme music. The first runners were expected at the Sahara Stadium in Durban at about 11am. A fast time was anticipated in both the men’s and women’s races.

As South Africa prepares to open its Vodacom Tri-Nations campaign against Australia this weekend, former Springboks Andre Joubert and Wayne Fyvie have declared the team capable of making it all the way to the World Cup final. ”I think we definitely have the players now,” said 1995 Rugby World Cup winner Joubert.

Researchers, scientists and healthcare workers resolved on Friday to open a new front in South Africa’s war on Aids, encouraged by the government’s fresh approach to the crisis and improved weapons to protect those most at risk of infection.

A South African doctor’s recent call for compulsory HIV testing triggered a lively debate on Wednesday at the South African Aids Conference in Durban. ”It’s dangerous to go this route,” said Heidi van Rooyen of the Human Sciences Research Council.

South Africa will not be able to halt the spread of HIV/Aids unless it increases wages for government healthcare workers, the head of a leading HIV/Aids advocacy group said on Wednesday. An estimated 12% of South Africa’s 47-million people are infected with HIV, and about 1 000 die each day from Aids and related diseases.

South Africa’s new Aids plan was on Tuesday lauded by the chief of the United Nations’s Aids/HIV agency, who said the country was now well placed to lead Africa into a new phase in responding to the pandemic. ”You have a better chance than any other country in the region to deliver on Aids. If you can’t, who can?,” said Peter Piot.

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has withdrawn from the third South African Aids Conference after apparently being sidelined by the conference’s organisers, it emerged on Tuesday. Speaking at the official opening, the South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: ”The minister has withdrawn because of the place you have allocated to her.”

A 10-year-old Durban boy accidentally shot dead his 13-year-old friend after finding a gun in the garage where they were playing, police said on Tuesday. Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen said that Khanyisani Mngadi and his 10-year-old friend were playing in the garage at another friend’s house on Monday when the younger boy found the gun behind a sofa.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is allowed to retrieve documents from Mauritius that relate to Jacob Zuma’s alleged role in the multibillion-rand arms deal. Judge Jan Hugo of the Durban High Court gave his ruling on Tuesday granting the NPA permission to continue to proceed with a letter of authorisation.

Sibusiso Zuma scored twice as South Africa overwhelmed Chad with a record 4-0 victory in their African Nations Cup qualifier in Durban on Saturday. German-based Zuma got both his goals in the first half as the 2010 World Cup hosts stretched their lead in Group 11 to three points.

The state will know on Tuesday whether it has succeeded in obtaining an execution order to allow it to retrieve documents from Mauritius about meetings believed to relate to arms-deal corruption. Judge Jan Hugo heard argument this week from the state, African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturing giant Thint.

Organisers of the annual Comrades Marathon have expressed concern over the possible effect the strike by public-sector workers may have on the event, the Daily News reported on Wednesday. It quoted Comrades Marathon Association chairperson Dave Dixon as saying: ”We’ve been keeping a close watch on the intended strike action by the civil servants.”

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday it had made no decision on whether to charge African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma. Reports that such a decision had been made were ”incorrect and misleading”, NPA spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said.