![]()
The Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial ended on Wednesday afternoon with Judge Hillary Squires saying a judgement will not take place before May 30. ”Like all rivers that eventually reach the sea, we have reached the sea,” Squires said at the end of the case.
![]()
Fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik said on Tuesday he was considering legal action after parts of his defence’s closing arguments appeared in weekend newspapers before they had been dealt with in court. ”I’ve been punch drunk for the last four years … I’m entitled to a fair trial and a fair case,” said Shaik.
![]()
The Durban High Court heard on Tuesday that the creation of a non-distributable reserve and the rights of three loan accounts in the books of Nkobi Holdings went beyond the accounting knowledge of fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik.
![]()
Schabir Shaik’s advocate Francois van Zyl complained to the court on Tuesday that parts of his closing arguments, which have not yet been dealt with, appeared in weekend newspapers. ”I assume they had access to your arguments,” said Judge Hillary Squires.
![]()
Businessman Schabir Shaik’s defence counsel discussed in his closing argument on Friday the deep-rooted friendship between the fraud and corruption accused and Deputy President Jacob Zuma. The defence began it final argument on Friday.
![]()
The state on Thursday concluded its argument in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial, saying the controversial encrypted fax is the truth and adds weight to the state’s case. The fax reports an alleged bribe of R500 000 a year for Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
![]()
The prosecution in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial on Thursday called on the Durban High Court to accept the so-called encrypted fax as a credible source of evidence. The request was based on contradictions in the defence’s case and Shaik’s lack of credibility as a witness.
Bonisiwe Maphumulo sits on a straight-backed chair in the sun outside her thatched, one-room home in rural Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal. What she says next is, most probably, a lie. ”I don’t know what sickness I’ve got,” the 51-year-old widow observes in Zulu, cradling her young granddaughter on her lap.
Current Springbok and Gwent Dragons fullback Percy Montgomery has signed a two-year contract to play for the Sharks. Montgomery will officially join the Sharks on June 1. However, provided he is selected to play for the Springboks, he will only start with the team after the Tri-Nations in August.
![]()
Fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik was neither an honest nor a credible witness, the prosecution in his trial case in the Durban High Court said on Tuesday.
”Shaik’s evidence is littered with evasion and equivocations,” prosecutor Billy Downer said.
A 51-year-old alleged drug trafficker appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after the biggest find of the so-called date rape drug Rivotril in the history of KwaZulu-Natal, police said. Yunus Satar Essa was remanded in custody until his next appearance on Friday, police said in a statement.
![]()
The prosecution began its closing arguments in Schabir Shaik’s fraud and corruption trial on Monday, describing the case which began in the Durban High Court in October as an epic. ”Unfortunately it has proven to be anything but heroic,” said prosecutor Billy Downer.
![]()
Deputy President Jacob Zuma contravened his constitutional duty by providing assistance to his friend and financial adviser Schabir Shaik, the Durban High Court heard on Monday. Zuma ”at the very least exposed himself to a situation involving the risk of a conflict between his official responsibilities and private interests”.
![]()
The prosecution began final argument in Schabir Shaik’s fraud and corruption trial on Monday, describing the case that started in the Durban High Court in October as an epic. Prosecutor Billy Downer said the state has succeeded in proving that Shaik used Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s assistance to gain private business advantage.
KwaZulu-Natal finance minister Zweli Mkhize escaped unhurt when the aircraft in which he was travelling made an emergency landing at Durban International airport on Thursday night, Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said. Mkhize was travelling with his wife, May Mashego, and bodyguard Mfihlo Gwala, Ndebele said on Friday.
After an outbreak of African horse sickness in KwaZulu-Natal, horses may not be moved into or out of the province, the provincial agriculture department announced on Thursday. ”The outbreak is concentrated in the Midlands right up to northern KwaZulu-Natal,” said the department’s spokesperson Vusi Zuma.
Relegation candidates Manning Rangers and Wits University shared the spoils when they played to a goalless draw in a Castle Premiership encounter at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night. The home side should have won this game in the first half, but were let down by their strikers.
After deliberations that delayed the intended media conference by three hours at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Friday, SA Rugby finally announced a reshuffle in provincial affiliations in the enlarged Super 14 franchises for the next three years, subject to an annual review and initial three-year trial period.
The link between HIV/Aids and hunger in rural communities has received a great deal of attention over the past few years — particularly in Southern Africa, where HIV/Aids has added a new dimension to the recent food crisis. But research emerging from an international conference last week showed that very little is known about the actual impact of the pandemic on rural communities.
South African rugby has something to shout about again. After weathering a storm of blistering running attacks by New Zealand in the second half with brave defending at Kings Park in Durban on Sunday, the Baby Springboks regained the IRB World Under 19 title they won in Paris two years ago.
Ten miners have abandoned their illegal underground strike at a mine in KwaZulu-Natal since Thursday to seek medical help, it emerged on Monday. Some had been feeling unwell — one of them had flu — and some were feeling claustrophobic, said Michael Campbell, spokesperson for Zululand Anthracite Colliery, outside Ulundi.
The safety of miners engaged in an underground strike since Friday is more important than labour grievances, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Monday. ”They [mine management] might be 120 times wrong but we must focus on the health and safety of the miners now to avert a crisis,” said Cosatu.
The ”Baby Boks” edged out France 15-9 in a game of penalties on Saturday in the International Rugby Board Under-19 World rugby championship being played at the Absa Stadium in Durban. The South Africans converted five penalties to the three of France to keep their unbeaten record.
![]()
Durban High Court Judge Hillary Squires turned down a late application by the state to reopen its case on Thursday, thereby effectively ending the Schabir Shaik trial, which started in October. ”I’m glad it’s come to an end,” Shaik told journalists outside the court, adding that ”much of the burden of the stress of this case is over”.
![]()
The defence in the Schabir Shaik trial on Thursday rested its case in the Durban High Court, but the State has applied to again lead evidence to prove the authenticity of a two-page document. Prosecutor Billy Downer said that the state was ”taken by surprise” when Shaik denied any knowledge of the document, known as BBB1 and 2.
Lance Klusener, the bowler, and Shaun Pollock, the batsman, could not prevent the Highveld Lions from sneaking home by one run in their Standard Bank Pro20 cricket match against the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at the Sahara Stadium in Kingsmead on Wednesday.
![]()
A forensic auditor has told the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial that money paid on behalf of Deputy President Jacob Zuma did not affect the financial state of Shaik’s Nkobi group of companies. Gregory Johnson, who runs a private auditing and accounting firm, was giving evidence for the defence.
![]()
KwaZulu-Natal finance MEC Zweli Mkhize told the Durban High Court on Monday how fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik financed a cash-strapped African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal from 1994. Mkhize was also questioned about a document dated May 1999 that was presented to the court by Shaik’s defence advocate Francois van Zyl.
Chiefs dropped two valuable points when they held Lamontville Golden Arrows to a 1-1 draw in an entertaining Castle Premiership encounter played at Kings Park Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The home side led 1-0 at the interval thanks to a goal by Bheka Phakathi in the 38th minute.
![]()
The Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial resumes in the Durban High Court on Monday. Shaik’s instructing attorney, Reeves Parsee, said the defence will call a further two, or possibly three, witnesses but remained tight-lipped about who they will be. The state will also apply to call two more witnesses.
An African National Congress branch chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal was shot and wounded on Thursday night, the party said. ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said Nqobizwe Magwaza, chairperson of one of the Ulundi branches, ”miraculously escaped death” when he was attacked by two gunmen.
Manning Rangers’ woes continued when they were beaten 1-0 by a 10-man Supersport United in their Castle Premiership encounter played at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night. Supersport finished the game a man down following a red card given to Edward Williams after his second bookable offence in the 50th minute.