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/ 13 February 2008

Kliptown housing project on track, says Gauteng govt

The Greater Kliptown Development Project is well on track, the Gauteng department of housing said on Wednesday. ”The project has, however, not been without challenges. ”During the implementation, the project experienced delays brought about by the density of the informal settlement and the slow delivery by previous contractors,” the department said.

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/ 7 February 2008

De Beers spends $100m a year on exploration

Diamond giant De Beers spends $100-million a year on exploration activities in the regions where the company expects to have the most impact, and has invested more than this in the past few years to establish a greater presence and activity rate in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, its group MD said on Wednesday.

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/ 6 February 2008

‘The horror film that is life in Kliptown’

The Kliptown Concerned Residents group on Wednesday took the media on a tour of the area to highlight the damage caused by recent heavy rains. Organiser Sipho Jantjie said the settlement in Kliptown had no electricity and used the bucket system. As the media walked around the settlement, raw sewage was seen flowing out of a manhole.

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/ 6 February 2008

Reservists call for integration into SAPS

About 300 police reservists handed over a memorandum of grievances to the Presidency in Pretoria on Wednesday. The two-page memorandum called for the ”immediate and unconditional” integration of 8 000 reservists into the South African Police Service (SAPS). It also called for the remuneration of reservists.

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/ 6 February 2008

Cross-country runners ready for Ethiopia

South Africa’s preparation for the World Cross-Country Championships enters a crucial stage when some of the country’s leading athletes compete at the 34th Janmeda International Cross-Country Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday. ”This race is a brilliant test run,” said Boy Soke, who hails from the Free State.

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/ 4 February 2008

Gauteng municipalities commit to power savings

Gauteng municipalities are switching off their lights to help prevent load-shedding. All 14 municipalities in the province on Monday committed themselves to a 10% reduction in electricity use, and to improve communication with residents and businesses on when and how long they will be affected by load-shedding.

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/ 3 February 2008

Downs, Birds edge home in Atteridgeville

In the wake of much bravado preceding what was termed the ”Gauteng Challenge”, Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows edged home on penalty kicks against Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United respectively in what were no more than gloried friendlies at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

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/ 2 February 2008

Three dead in Carnival City collapse

Emergency personnel were on Saturday still searching for survivors after part of the Carnival City shopping complex near Brakpan on the East Rand in Gauteng partially collapsed into a parking area, killing three people. Netcare 911 spokesperson Mark Stokoe said an exterior wall of the mall had collapsed on to a car.

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/ 29 January 2008

ANC calls on all South Africans to save power

It is critical that South Africans respond to the energy-saving proposals made by the government for industrial, commercial and residential consumers, the African National Congress (ANC) said on Tuesday. ”The success of the programme taken by the government … depends on the contribution of all South Africans and sectors,” the ANC said.

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/ 29 January 2008

My journey to the stars

Every year the festival season becomes longer and more exotic. That summer spell when young people gather in fields to listen to music and fall over, the result of either inebriation or inappropriate footwear, used to involve simply packing a tent and heading for a farmer’s field. Today you can build your summer around a trip to Benicassim in Spain, Burning Man in Nevada or Exit in Serbia.

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/ 25 January 2008

Mbanjwa’s river of dreams

A sponsored Opel Corsa van with ”Michael Mbanjwa, Dusi Gold Medallist” printed on the sides pulls up at Germiston Lake on Gauteng’s East Rand. As the driver’s door opens, out jumps Mbanjwa (24), who made history last weekend when he became the first black African to win the Hansa Powerade Dusi Canoe Marathon.

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/ 23 January 2008

Moves afoot to revise expropriation law

The Department of Public Works has started on the business of revising the laws on expropriation, which became a matter of urgency following the African National Congress national conference last month. An announcement from the department on Wednesday said that it will start the ball rolling with a national workshop to be held in Gauteng next month.

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/ 22 January 2008

Top Scorpion arrested for drunk driving

A top Scorpions investigator is expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning on charges relating to driving under the influence of alcohol, Talk Radio 702 reported on Tuesday. Senior Scorpion Ivor Powell was apparently arrested with fugitive gang boss Igshaan Davids in Woodstock, on Tuesday evening.

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/ 22 January 2008

Top Scorpions sleuth out on bail

Scorpions investigator Ivor Powell was granted R1 000 bail in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. His case was remanded to April 29 pending the outcome of his blood alcohol tests. He was arrested on Tuesday night, apparently in the company of alleged Americans gang boss Igshaan Davids.

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/ 22 January 2008

SA HIV vaccines on brink of human testing

Researchers from the University of Cape Town have developed two test HIV vaccines — the first wholly South African-developed products to enter the human clinical-trials phase, the Herald Online reported on Tuesday. The vaccines are just months away from being assessed in human clinical trials, the report said.

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/ 21 January 2008

Imperial destroys heritage site

Imperial Holdings sacked the head of its property division, John Carstens, on Wednesday, and the company faces legal action after demolishing a heritage site. The Rand Steam Laundries was demolished last weekend, in apparent contravention of a stop order issued by the provincial heritage authority. Nthathise Modingoane, a spokes­person for the council, confirmed that the city has laid a charge and is briefing its attorneys on the matter.

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/ 20 January 2008

Mahomed was an architect of the UDF

It is no accident that a meeting held to commemorate the life of Yunus Mahomed was attended by scores of luminaries from the African National Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Current and former Cabinet ministers paid tribute to their comrade, who died of a heart attack on January 6.

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/ 19 January 2008

NPA supports withdrawal of Nel charges

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has come out in support of the chief prosecutor of Pretoria’s decision to withdraw charges against advocate Gerrie Nel, head of the Scorpions in Gauteng, it said on Friday. The Pretoria Regional Court this week withdrew charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice against Nel.