A new stadium, that will host one of the World Cup semifinal matches in 2010, was unveiled in Durban on Thursday. Named after King Shaka’s father, the King Senzangakhona Stadium will cost R1,6-billion to build and will seat a crowd of up to 80Â 000 soccer fans.
The anti-Aids ABC message — abstain, be faithful and use condoms — has left many of the continent’s youth confused, an Aids conference in Durban heard on Wednesday. In a survey of 1Â 766 pupils conducted in the Valley of a Thousand Hills near Durban, only one schoolgirl said abstinence is ”not having sex until one is married”.
Aids-treatment programmes need to expand dramatically in Africa, an expert said on Tuesday, suggesting nurses do some of the work of doctors and more people be trained as counsellors in order to meet the enormous need. ”We need to expand four- or fivefold from where we are now,” said Dr Mark Dybul, the United States State Department’s deputy global Aids coordinator.
The South African government on Monday demanded a greater say over the way millions in United States HIV/Aids funding is spent in the country, arguing that giving the money directly to local programmes created a coordination problem. The Bush administration has pledged -billion to combat HIV/Aids over five years in 15 of the world’s worst-hit countries.
After 100 years in existence, the Springboks celebrated with a clinical 36-16 victory over Scotland at King’s Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday. A revamped Bok outfit outscored their northern-hemisphere counterparts by four tries to none and also scored four penalties and two conversions.
Put aside tactics, history and sentiment and just carve out a win. That seems to have been Springbok coach Jake White’s message to his team ahead of their season-opening Test against Scotland in Durban on Saturday. With much fanfare being made by the Scottish contingent about how they will take on the Bok forward challenge, White’s chief priority is victory.
To some, it’s the symbol of one of the most powerful rugby-playing nations in the world, united by former South African president Nelson Mandela. Others remember it as an icon of racial oppression and exclusivity based on skin colour. There is even a drink named after it.
A 33-year-old man was seriously injured when chemicals at a packaging factory near Durban ignited on Wednesday. Netcare spokesperson Chris Botha said the man had burns to 60% of his body and was airlifted to St Augustine’s hospital. The blast occurred at a division of the packaging conglomerate Nampak.
The Springboks will field one of their most-experienced sides when they line up against Scotland in the first of two rugby Test matches against the British side on Saturday. The team was named on Wednesday morning, while Scotland are expected to name their team later in the day.
South Africa will officially unveil its Soccer World Cup 2010 emblem in Berlin on July 7. Significantly, this will be before the end of the World Cup in Germany and, as such, is a first in the history of the tournament. This was announced on Thursday by Danny Jordaan, CEO of the South African World Cup committee.
A South African court on Tuesday began hearing an appeal from 13 HIV-positive prisoners demanding access to free anti-retroviral treatment in line with a government scheme launched in 2003. Lawyers representing the prisoners from Westville jail are arguing before the High Court in Durban that a series of bureaucratic hurdles are preventing them from accessing free ARVs.
Kaizer Chiefs salvaged some silverware from a season that almost went horribly wrong when they were crowned champions of the lucrative Absa Cup beating Orlando Pirates 5-3 in a penalty shootout in an epic battle played at King’s Park Stadium on Saturday.
Urgent blood donations are needed after 62 people were injured when a bus overturned outside Durban on Monday morning, Durban metro police said. Four people were hospitalised in critical condition and two of them lost their limbs on the scene. Fifty-eight were in a serious condition.
South Africa’s Coastal Sharks all but secured their place in the Super 14 semifinals with a thrilling 41-25 win over the Western Force of Australia at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Friday night. The victory moved them up into fourth spot ahead of Australia’s ACT Brumbies. The South African team were given a lifeline earlier in the day when the Brumbies suffered a 33-3 defeat to the Canterbury Crusaders.
The Sharks, with a 24-10 lead and 16 minutes to play, suddenly found themselves pressured into error by a resurgent Stormers side in their Super 14 rugby encounter on Saturday before taking the four match points with a 24-17 victory. With one game to go against the Western Force in Durban next week, the loss of that bonus point chance may have scuttled their semifinal hopes.
A matric boy fired shots at fellow pupils aboard a school bus in Pinetown near Durban on Friday afternoon, wounding two classmates, KwaZulu-Natal police said. Spokesperson Inspector Rani John said the boy, from Pinetown Boys High School, was apparently playing with the gun when it went off.
Busi Mhlongo wears her heart on her sleeve when it comes to fallen musicians, writes Niren Tolsi.
About 500 striking security guards were arrested in Durban on Friday after they ransacked the Department of Labour’s offices, KwaZulu-Natal police said. ”They invaded the building and caused damage to property, furniture, motor vehicles and computers,” Inspector Michael Read said.
Three swimmers used the final evening of the Telkom South African National Championships to collect their fourth titles of the competition in Durban on Sunday. After the evening’s proceeding, Gerhard Zandberg, Melissa Corfe and Suzaan van Biljon were named as the swimmers of the competition.
Suzaan van Biljon put such a mammoth effort into winning her third title in the 200m individual medley at the Telkom South African National Swimming Championships in Durban on Saturday that she could barely stand afterwards. Gerhard Zandberg bagged the 100m freestyle title on Saturday.
A 100%-plus effort by an inspired and highly motivated Sharks pack of forwards piloted the Sharks to a most impressive 32-15 Vodacom Super 14 rugby victory over the Auckland Blues before 27 000 enthusiastic spectators at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed back its three members who had defected to the National Democratic Convention (Nadeco). Provincial chairperson Mtomuhle Khawula said the IFP is happy and excited to have its members return ”home”.
For the first time in 10 years it was a different face that topped the podium after the men’s 200m breaststroke at the Telkom South African National Championships in Durban on Friday night. In the absence of Terence Parkin, William Diering took the 200m breaststroke gold.
It was a night of emphatic victories on day three of the Telkom South African National Swimming Championships in Durban on Thursday. Jean Basson came within just one-100th of a second of his best time as he cruised to victory in the 200m freestyle. The 18-year-old had little trouble from his rivals throughout the race.
Suzaan van Biljon has come a long way since winning her first national title as a plucky 14-year-old. And on Wednesday night she capped off a great season, which has included Commonwealth Games bronze, by winning the 100m breaststroke title at the Telkom South African National Championships in Durban.
Ryk Neethling made a token appearance on the opening day of the Telkom South African National Swimming Championships in Durban on Tuesday, but explained afterwards that he will now be taking a break from all competition and training for the next month-and-a-half.
It was not pretty to watch, but the Sharks finally overcame a strong Queensland defence to topple their old nemeses, the Queensland Reds, by five tries to four as they won their Super 14 rugby encounter 36-26 at the Absa Stadium on Saturday evening. Both sides picked up a bonus point as a result of the nine tries scored.
Australia beat the fading light and bowled South Africa out for 297 to win the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead by 112 runs on Tuesday. Despite a battling partnership of 72 runs by Mark Boucher and Nicky Boje, the South Africans were unable to cope with the wiles of legendary legspinner Shane Warne and were all out with less than seven overs left to play.
South Africa face the daunting task of batting throughout the final day of the second Castle Lager Test on Tuesday if they are to save the match and stay in the series. When bad light stopped play about ten minutes after tea on Monday, South Africa, chasing 410 to win, were 29-0 and faced the prospect of playing on an uneven pitch on Tuesday.
Australia set South Africa the mammoth target of 410 to win the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead on Monday. Australia declared their second innings closed on 307-4, after a flurry of runs from Adam Gilchrist ended with his dismissal. Gilchrist made 24 off nine balls — 22 of these runs coming off an Andre Nel over.
Australia seized the initiative after lunch on the third day of the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead on Sunday, and South Africa suffered a dramatic collapse, losing six wickets to be all out for 267 — trailing Australia by 102 runs. Jacques Rudolph was first to go when he got a bat or pad to Shane Warne, and was caught at square leg by Michael Hussey.
Australia had the best of the second day of the second Castle Lager Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday although Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers fought back well in the last session of the day with a partnership of 130. At close of play, South Africa had 140 for two — still trailing Australia by 229 runs.