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/ 12 January 2007
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Joe Seremane told South African Broadcasting Corporation radio on Friday that he will make an announcement within weeks as to whether he will make himself available to stand for the leadership of the official opposition. Seremane is the federal chairperson of the party and, if elected, will be the first black leader of the official opposition.
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/ 12 January 2007
We are headed into a supersonic political year. By the end of 2007, the ruling party will have chosen a new president of the organisation and, more than likely, the person who will become the country’s next president. At a more fundamental level, certain decisions will have been taken that affect the quality and direction of our democracy and the economy.
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/ 11 January 2007
A senior Eastern Cape government official suspended in 2005 for alleged corruption and bribery has been hired to oversee all social-grant payments in the province, media reported on Thursday. The January 1 appointment of Khaliphile Mabhentsela as Eastern Cape acting regional executive manager of the South African Social Security Agency has been widely condemned.
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/ 11 January 2007
Eastern Cape Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Athol Trollip formally announced at a press conference his intention to run for the leadership of the official opposition. He was introduced to the media on Thursday in glowing terms by his Eastern Cape legislature colleague, Veliswa Mvenya: ”His skin is white but he is black.”
Shebeens near schools are a source of school violence and an access to drugs and alcohol for minors, the Young Communist League of South Africa said on Tuesday. The league was announcing at a Johannesburg press conference the launch of its Joe Slovo ”Right to Learn” campaign, which will run from Thursday until the end of January.
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) shares the Department of Education’s concerns about dysfunctional schools, it said on Monday. ”It would be necessary to first profile these [dysfunctional] schools in order to determine exactly where the problems lie,” Naptosa president Dave Balt said.
In a nail-biting finish that had the spectators at the Wanderers on the edge of their seats, the Highveld Lions prevailed by five runs to beat the Warriors in their Supersport Series match. The men from the Eastern Cape requiring 265 runs at the start of the day to bring off victory.
A vehicle-testing station owner has appeared in the King William’s Town Magistrate’s Court for allegedly trying to bribe an Eastern Cape transport official, the provincial transport department said on Thursday. Johannesburg businessman Haron Bhika appeared in court on Tuesday charged with corruption, said Eastern Cape traffic control deputy director Mqondisi Kulati.
Tunisian ophthalmologists will perform eye operations in the Eastern Cape in January, the Health Department said on Wednesday. Tunisia and South Africa signed an agreement of cooperation in the field of health in 1999 and formulated a programme of cooperation in 2004.
The Dolphins will be aiming to bounce back from a poor performance last month when they face the Titans in a top-of-the-table Supersport Series cricket clash in Pietermaritzburg, starting on Thursday. Also, the Diamond Eagles will be hoping the Christmas break hasn’t robbed them of any momentum.
The festive-season death toll on South Africa’s roads has dropped despite an increase in the number of cars and drivers, the Department of Transport said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Ntau Letebele said 1Â 366 people had died in 1Â 168 crashes over the December 2006 period — a drop from 1Â 454 deaths in 2005.
Gold Fields executive vice-president Brendan Walker was killed in a car crash in the Eastern Cape over the weekend, the company announced on Tuesday. ”Brendan was not only a colleague but a friend. He was one of our brightest stars and his untimely death will leave a deep void,” said chief executive Ian Cockerill in a statement.
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/ 30 December 2006
A total of 1 277 people have died in 1 104 traffic accidents since December 1, the Department of Transport said on Friday. Spokesperson Collen Msibi said that while this was a slight decrease compared to 1 372 deaths in the same period last year, the department was concerned about the increase of fatal crashes involving pedestrians.
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/ 27 December 2006
An SMS alert is triggered in the Eastern Cape about four times a week, warning of bad storm conditions heading towards the province. ”We send them out regularly,” said South African Weather Service forecaster Peter Lumb. ”On average, three to four a week for individual storms. We zoom in on ones that we think will be the most severe and will cause damage.”
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/ 23 December 2006
Two police officers were among people arrested for drunken driving in the presence of Transport Minister Jeff Radebe in separate roadblocks on the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, the provincial traffic department said. By Friday, the death toll on South Africa’s roads stood at 907, down from last year’s 1 024 for the same period.
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/ 21 December 2006
Eastern Cape provincial housing minister Sam Kwelita will visit tornado-ravaged Dutyini village to find out what help is needed. About 20 people were injured and more than 100 people from 65 families were left homeless when 85 households were destroyed or badly damaged by the tornado at Dutyini near Mount Ayliff on Sunday.
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/ 20 December 2006
Filmmaker Sharron Hawkes has gone from Butterworth to Timbuktu. Hawkes returned this week from a two-week trip to Timbuktu in Mali, where she is producing and directing a documentary on the conservation and research of hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts.
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/ 17 December 2006
Eight people were killed and 30 were injured, 18 seriously, when a bus overturned on between Indwe and Dordrecht in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, according to Arrive Alive. The bus was transporting 72 passengers from Cape Town to Qumbu, Tsolo, Mount Frere and other areas.
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/ 16 December 2006
Global spiritual and humanitarian leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met South Africa’s top judges on Friday as part of his three-day tour of the country. A founder member of the Art of Living Foundation, Shankar visited South Africa as part of the celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi’s passive-resistance campaign.
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/ 14 December 2006
The African National Congress (ANC) has expelled its parliamentary chief whip, Mbulelo Goniwe, for sexual harassment, it announced on Thursday. This means he will no longer be an MP, nor will he serve as chief whip, said Kader Asmal, who chaired the ANC national disciplinary committee probe into the allegation against Goniwe.
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/ 13 December 2006
African National Congress (ANC) president Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday criticised individuals within the party who campaign for leadership positions within the movement. Mbeki told the South African National Civic Organisation conference in Bloemfontein that ”this is a matter that worries me and the leaders of the ANC movement”.
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/ 11 December 2006
More than 13 000 people die every year on South African roads, costing the economy R43-billion, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said on Sunday. He said economic growth contributes to the increase of accidents as the number of vehicles on the road is increasing.
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/ 8 December 2006
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) formally declared a dispute on Friday with the Department of Education over non-payment of teachers. The dispute was declared over an agreement on incentives — termed ”accelerated progression payments” for good performance — Sadtu said.
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/ 7 December 2006
The Department of Education must give teachers detailed salary advice so they know what money is owed to them and what the money is for, the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa said on Thursday. However, the department slammed unions for ”misinformed and inflammatory” remarks.
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/ 7 December 2006
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) was the big winner in the last round of by-elections to take place this year, claiming all but one of the 12 wards contested in results. The municipal by-elections on Wednesday were marked by low voter turnouts, with an 11% turnout at ward three in Mbolela (Nelspruit).
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/ 4 December 2006
Recent union remarks over outstanding payments to teachers are ”misinformed and inflammatory”, the Department of Education said on Monday. A settlement agreement for wage increases has been fulfilled by the department, said spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele.
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/ 4 December 2006
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The most influential provincial leadership of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) has voted in favour of President Thabo Mbeki remaining head of the ruling party next year, a potential blow to his former deputy, Jacob Zuma. Political analysts said the resolution signalled the start of the fiercest contest for the leadership of the ANC in its 94-year history.
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/ 4 December 2006
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape on Sunday passed a resolution encouraging Thabo Mbeki to stand for a third term as party leader. The resolution came at the provincial ANC’s three-yearly conference in Alice, a few hours after Mbeki loyalist Stone Sizani was named as the new provincial chairperson.
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/ 3 December 2006
Former Eastern Cape education minister Stone Sizani was on Sunday named as the new chairperson of the African National Congress in the province. He immediately acknowledged he faced a ”huge task” in overcoming the factionalism and divisions that have threatened to cripple the organisation.
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/ 1 December 2006
Problems with delegate registration on Friday caused major hold-ups at the African National Congress’s (ANC) Eastern Cape provincial conference in Alice. Registration, which involves creating a photo identity card for each of the more than 1Â 700 voting delegates, was supposed to have been completed before the opening session on Thursday night.
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/ 1 December 2006
President Thabo Mbeki has warned against people who use the African National Congress (ANC) as a stepladder to reach positions of power, instead of serving the people of South Africa. Speaking at the Eastern Cape ANC’s three-yearly conference in Alice, he said it has become very fashionable to be a member of the party ”and even more fashionable to be a leader of the ANC”.
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/ 29 November 2006
The suspension and ”golden handshake” for former Eastern Cape Treasury superintendent-general Monde Tom cost R4-million, the Public Service Accountability Monitor said on Wednesday. Tom’s 15 month suspension and confidential settlement package were revealed in the Auditor General’s report on the treasury’s 2005/06 annual financial statements.