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.
Michael Hussey and tail-ender Stuart Clark frustrated South Africa after lunch on the second day of the second Castle LagerTest at Kingsmead on Saturday, with a last wicket partnership of 42. Shaun Pollock got rid of Shane Warne, who had played a cameo innings, putting on 36 runs off just 31 balls, and sharing a 56-run eighth-wicket partnership with Hussey.
South Africa were in a good position at close of play on the first day of the second Castle Lager Test at Kingsmead on Friday, when they snatched three late wickets to have Australia on 228-5 at stumps. Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat first. South Africa struck an early blow in the second over, when Matthew Hayden was safely caught by AB de Villiers.
The government plans to improve staff and management of tuberculosis (TB) services and to improve access to laboratory services where it is poor. This forms part of the TB crisis plan launched by Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on Friday, World Tuberculosis Day, at Durban’s King George V hospital.
South Africa’s leading strike-bowler Shaun Pollock has passed a fitness test and will be in the team for the second Castle Lager Test against Australia, which starts at Kingsmead on Friday. Pollock missed the first Test after spraining a ligament in his sacroiliac joint during the fourth one-day international in Durban two weeks ago.
Nine-man Golden Arrows conceded two goals in referee’s optional time at the end of the match to lose 3-2 to Supersport United in a Premier Soccer League match played at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban on Sunday afternoon. In other matches, Silver Stars beat Black Leopards 2-0 and Bloemfontein Celtic drew 3-3 to Santos.
One of the guns believed to have been used in the murder of three African National Congress members, including a party councillor, is also suspected to have been used in the 1995 Shobashobane massacre, KwaZulu-Natal minister of safety and community liaison Bheki Cele said on Saturday.
Australia levelled the Standard Bank one-day international series against South Africa with a close-fought one-wicket victory at Kingsmead on Friday night, thanks largely to a magnificent knock by all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who made 76 off 71 balls. Chasing a modest target of 247 to win, Australia got off to a flying start.
The head of Southern African Catholics says he and other church leaders have told President Thabo Mbeki to impose sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s government but the South African leader will not do it because he lacks the political will.
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/ 28 February 2006
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The rural community of Ndwedwe, north of Durban, has no electricity, running water and tarred roads, says an area headman. The community, which mainly lives in mud rondavels, often enquires about the slow pace of delivery, but they are told there is no money. ”Tell me one reason why I should vote,” says the headman.
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/ 27 February 2006
Hundreds of squatters took to the streets of Durban over poor housing on Monday after the Durban High Court overruled a council decision not to allow the protest. Police stopped the marchers earlier in the day, claiming their action was illegal. However, they were allowed to proceed to the Durban City Hall.
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/ 27 February 2006
Batsman Hashim Amla became the man of the hour on Sunday in piloting the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins to a sensational six-wicket Supersport Series win over the Cape Cobras at Kingsmead on Sunday. The Dolphins scored 214 and 280 for four against the 216 and 276 for nine declared by the Western Province men.
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/ 26 February 2006
In a low-scoring match the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins and the Cape Cobras had their respective campaigns curtailed by 32 overs on the third day of their Supersport Series four-day cricket match at Kingsmead on Saturday. At that stage the Cobras, with three wickets in hand, led the Dolphins by 197 runs.
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/ 26 February 2006
Golden Arrows beat struggling Tembisa Classic 2-1 in a Premier Soccer League match played at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night. Arrows’ goals came from Alton Meiring and Papi Zothwane, while Classic had to rely on former Bafana Bafana striker Bradley August.
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/ 21 February 2006
The KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins, who led the Supersport four-day cricket standings after the first round in October, are now eager to resume their chase for some silverware on Thursday at Kingsmead after losing out in the Standard Bank and Pro20 tournaments. They take on the Cape Cobras.
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/ 19 February 2006
The South African women’s hockey team emerged as convincing champions of the inaugural Spar Cup at the Queensmead Astroturf in Durban on Saturday. They defeated Scotland 4-0 in the final to take top honours in the four-nation tournament. The first half saw an expert display from the South African side.
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/ 19 February 2006
Never write off a Cheetah — especially a wounded one. That was the lesson the Sharks learnt at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday when they lost their home Super 14 rugby encounter against the Free Staters by a single point in a 26-27 defeat, in which the Cheetahs also picked up a valuable bonus point.
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/ 17 February 2006
The Inkatha Freedom Party’s Durban district chairperson, James Maphalala, who was also an eThekwini municipal councillor, has died at his home in Lindelani, KwaZulu-Natal, after a long illness, the IFP said on Friday. IFP deputy national chairperson Velaphi Ndlovu expressed condolences to Maphalala’s family.
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/ 16 February 2006
The South African women’s hockey team booked their place in Saturday’s final of the four-nation Spar Cup after beating Scotland 2-1 in Durban on Wednesday night. The home side didn’t have an easy time of it, though, and had to come back from a 1-0 deficit.
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/ 31 January 2006
The KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins are desperate after three successive Standard Bank Pro20 defeats and now need at least two wins out of three in their remaining round-robin fixtures in the competition. Two of the matches are at home this week. On Wednesday night, they line-up against the Warriors in a postponed fixture at Kingsmead.