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/ 18 March 2008

Oz official: Use the card, not the whistle

A senior Australian Rugby Union official agreed on Monday with aspects of a written complaint about South African referee Willie Roos’s performance during the ACT Brumbies’ loss to the Wellington Hurricanes on Friday night. Peter Marshall said Roos’s decision to award 39 penalties and free kicks had a negative impact on the game.

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/ 17 March 2008

It’s Chiefs vs Sundowns

All the talk before Monday’s Nedbank Cup draw centred on a potential final between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns — with the gnawing proviso, of course, that the Premier Soccer League glamour clubs were not pitted against each other in the last-16 round. But the improbable did occur, amid gasps of amazement and disbelief.

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/ 17 March 2008

What to do with Reitz hostel?

The University of the Free State on Monday asked for proposals on the future of its Reitz men’s residence from various affected parties. A racist video surfaced at the institution last month, made by former students living in the Reitz hostel. The video features black university employees on their knees eating food that had apparently been urinated on by a white student.

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/ 17 March 2008

Triumph for Free State Stars’ Khumalo

The long wait ended in a fairytale triumph for Walter Khumalo when Free State Stars’ veteran goalkeeper came off eight months on the bench to instigate a tense and taut Nedbank Cup penalty shoot-out victory against Platinum Stars at Goble Park in Bethlehem on Sunday afternoon.

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/ 17 March 2008

A neglected moral vision

The fierce struggle to combat apartheid in the years before its demise and in the ongoing fight against its residual effects sometimes, however, loses sight of the fact that the root causes of apartheid evil lay deeper than its manifestation. Human greed, exclusion and unbridled power continue to manifest themselves, writes Charles Villa-Vicencio.

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/ 15 March 2008

SA athletes battle against heat

The pressure of qualifying for the Beijing Olympics for world indoor long-jump champion Khotso Mokoena is over after he carded a leap of 8,24m with his first dash at the board on the first day of the South African Track and Field Championships at Coetzenburg on Friday.

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/ 15 March 2008

Cheetahs in fine form in Vodacom Cup

The Free State Cheetahs emphasised that they are top contenders to lift the Vodacom Cup title this year with a solid 34-20 win over the Pumas in Witbank on Friday night. In other matches, the Wildebeest beat the Griffons 33-7 in Welkom and a brace of tries by Wylie Human sealed another victory for Western Province.

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/ 14 March 2008

Union members march to UFS over racism

Nationalising the University of the Free State (UFS), ”to protect the national asset”, must start immediately, the African National Congress and its alliance partners said on Friday. About 1 000 workers from various unions marched to the UFS to hand over the demand, contained in a memorandum on racism at the institution.

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/ 14 March 2008

March 14 to 19 2008

Racism alive and well The University of the Free State race video should not have surprised so many people. The truth is that racism is alive and well, and is aided and abetted by the government, which insists on classifying everybody according to their ”race” — as defined by the apartheid regime. The beneficiaries of […]

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/ 14 March 2008

Not a great trek south

Orlando Pirates striker Gilbert Mushangazhike may be the symbol of a new wave of players trekking down to South Africa in search of Absa PSL’s hundreds of millions. A free agent after a stint in China with Jiangsu Shuntian, it is safe to conclude his decision to come to South Africa was as much professional as financial.

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/ 14 March 2008

UFS rector moves to quash rumours of disorder

Allegations of disorder on the main campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) contained in an anonymous email circulated country were untrue, Rector Frederick Fourie said on Thursday. The email apparently makes reference to incidents of intimidation by black students on the main campus in Bloemfontein on March 4.

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/ 13 March 2008

Sensible, Swedish and fun

The Mail & Guardian takes a look at vehicles launched recently in South Africa: the Saab 9-3 (sensible and Swedish), the Peugeot 308 with its cool new features, the Renault Navigator (one of three new models newly introduced) and the Tata Xenon, which, as a double-cab lifestyle bakkie, is still quite a basic vehicle.

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/ 12 March 2008

Tutu: Reitz, Skielik no bar to a caring country

South Africa can become a caring society despite the racist incidents at Skielik and Reitz hostel at the University of the Free State, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said in Johannesburg on Wednesday. ”We are a wonderful country with many talented people,” Tutu said in launching an exhibition honouring struggle stalwarts Walter and Albertina Sisulu.

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/ 12 March 2008

Matola hands Bafana the match

A pedestrian Bafana Bafana outfit needed an own goal to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in a friendly international match at the Germiston Stadium on Tuesday evening. Gilbert Mushangazhike struck first for the visitors in the 12th minute. Sthembiso Ngcobo equalised in the 73rd minute and his feeble shot at goal deflected off James Matola late in extra time to give the hosts an unforeseen victory.

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/ 12 March 2008

Benni McCarthy back in Bafana squad

”Yo-yo man” Benni McCarthy is back in the Bafana Bafana squad to play Paraguay on March 26 — strengthening the suspicion that the enigmatic striker requested coach Carlos Albero Parreira not to include him in the squad for the recent African Nations Cup tournament in Ghana.

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/ 12 March 2008

Blatter lends ear to NUM

Fifa president Sepp Blatter showed his solidarity with the construction workers who are getting 10 stadiums in South Africa ready for the 2010 World Cup. Blatter met with leaders of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Tuesday and said he wanted them to be treated fairly while building and upgrading World Cup venues.

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/ 10 March 2008

Eskom: We need to save more

While large industry has met its 10% power-reduction commitments, the rest of South Africa is lagging behind, saving less than 5% on its electricity consumption. The continued strain on the national grid has meant that there remains the threat of load-shedding for South Africans.

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/ 9 March 2008

After the famine, a feast of goals for Chiefs

After the stark famine of a mere one goal in six Premier Soccer League games, with three of these matches drawn and the other three ending in defeats, Kaizer Chiefs gorged themselves on an amazing second-half scoring feast while beating Free State Stars 4-1 at a sweltering Charles Mopeli Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

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/ 8 March 2008

Council moots closing of Reitz hostel

The council of the University of the Free State on Friday mandated management to consider the possibility of closing down the Reitz men’s residence. Chairperson of the council Judge Faan Hancke said this included the possibility of converting the hostel into a beacon of transformation, hope and liberation.

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/ 7 March 2008

Prominent citizens condemn UFS video

Dozens of prominent South Africans have signed a statement condemning a racist video that surfaced at the University of the Free State (UFS) last month. The list of 81 signatories includes renowned authors Nadine Gordimer and Andre Brink, journalists John Perlman and Max du Preez, retired judge Arthur Chaskalson and cartoonist Zapiro.

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/ 7 March 2008

March 7 to 13 2008

UFS managers must go The barbarity at the University of Free State (UFS) has been reported by almost every newspaper and TV station in Australia. It has done damage to our country, and brought shame on our nation, but it is not entirely the students’ fault. UFS management has cultivated a racist atmosphere for years. […]

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/ 7 March 2008

UFS moves to ensure calm on campus

The University of the Free State (UFS) has obtained a further court interdict to maintain calm on the main campus in Bloemfontein and on the Vista campus, also in the city, a UFS spokesperson said on Friday. Spokesperson Anton Fischer said the interdict was obtained because a number of outside organisations were planning to hold mass demonstrations.

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/ 6 March 2008

Cabinet: Racism remains a challenge

The South African Cabinet has condemned recent incidents of racism and sexism around the country, saying they have the potential to undermine South Africa’s Constitution, a government spokesperson said on Thursday. ”The transgressors must know that there will be legal consequences,” government communications head Themba Maseko said.

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/ 6 March 2008

Stars, Chiefs play to goalless draw

Platinum Stars maintained their impressive record against Kaizer Chiefs as they held the Soweto club to a 0-0 draw in a Premier Soccer League match at the Loftus Stadium on Wednesday evening. Chiefs remain in 12th place with 24 points from 21 games and Stars stay put in ninth place with 26 points.

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/ 6 March 2008

Hostel apologises over race-row video

Reitz hostel, at the centre of a racist video controversy, on Wednesday apologised unconditionally to all students and other hostels. Reitz house father and head of hostel Christo Dippenaar said the whole hostel and its house committee had discussed the video and had decided to offer an unconditional apology for the video.

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/ 5 March 2008

Cosmos held by 10-man Stars

Jomo Cosmos again showed why they are in the relegation zone when 10-man Free State Stars held them to a goalless draw at the Oppenheimer Stadium in Orkney on Wednesday. Stars had the better chances but good goalkeeping by Cosmos keeper Avril Phali denied them victory.