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/ 25 November 2007

Fight begins for the soul of SA

On December 16, delegates to the 52nd national conference of the African National Congress will meet in Polokwane to decide if President Thabo Mbeki should have a third term as party president and, with it, power over the party’s MPs. In the meantime, every day brings more intrigue in the succession race.

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/ 20 November 2007

World Cup may cost billions more

Projected costs for South Africa’s preparations to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup could be up to 20% higher due to factors such as rising steel and cement prices, Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi said on Tuesday. Officials in the host cities have delivered cost escalations between R2,8-billion and R3,4-billion above budget.

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/ 16 November 2007

No ride in the park

Like cyclists all over South Africa, members of the Lethabo Cycling Club in Soweto are gearing up for the annual Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge that will hit Johannesburg streets on Sunday. But, unlike other cyclists, they will take on much more than the road when they join about 25 000 others for one of the country’s major bicycle races.

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/ 15 November 2007

Matatiele residents march on Maritzburg

Matatiele residents were set to march through Pietermaritzburg on Thursday to the KwaZulu-Natal legislature in protest over their incorporation into the Eastern Cape. Matatiele-Maluti Mass Action Organising Committee chairperson Mandla Galo said that at least 45 minibus taxis had transported residents to Pietermaritzburg.

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/ 13 November 2007

Mashaba retains title with killer blow

Thomas ”Merciless” Mashaba showed no mercy to retain his IBO world featherweight title with a ninth-round tko victory over the United States’s two-time former champion Eric Aiken on the Lords of the Ring boxing bill at Emperors Palace on Monday night. Also, Cassius Baloyi gained a narrow revenge victory over Gairy St Clair.

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/ 12 November 2007

SA poverty levels double in a decade

Severe poverty levels in South Africa have doubled in the last 10 years, the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) said on Monday. A survey released by the SAIRR this month showed that poverty in the country increased ”dramatically” between 1996 and 2005, said researcher Marius Roodt.

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/ 8 November 2007

Zuma’s future hinges on NPA’s next move

With just more than a month to the African National Congress presidential election, Jacob Zuma will be waiting to see whether the National Prosecuting Authority will recharge him for corruption. Court rulings on Thursday clarified the status of searches and documents related to the investigation against him concerning alleged corruption in the arms deal.

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/ 6 November 2007

Violent crime claims heavy toll among police

More South African police officers were killed in the 11 years since the end of apartheid than in the previous period, a new study that highlights one of the world’s highest crime rates showed on Tuesday. The South African Institute of Race Relations said 1 894 police officers were killed between 1995 and 2005.

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/ 6 November 2007

It’s a record — officially

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has ratified four new national records following a meeting of the ASA executive board last Saturday. Louw Smith of Boland province clocked 13,73 seconds to set a new South Africa junior men’s 110m hurdles record. He achieved this landmark on April 13.

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/ 6 November 2007

Loxion kulcha: Soweto TV takes the lead

The only fixed-line telephone for the first community television station in South Africa to get a year-long broadcasting licence is hidden away in an outdoor broadcasting van for fear of freeloading by staff and guests. When you call the station let it ring for a long time, publicist Deon Botha advises.

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/ 5 November 2007

Patient shot dead, employee wounded at Bara

A gunman shot and wounded an employee and killed a patient at Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital on Monday afternoon, Gauteng police said. The man entered the hospital during visiting hours at about 3.45pm and opened fire, said Captain Phillemon Khorombi. ”He shot a 52-year-old female employee and a male patient aged 35.”

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/ 5 November 2007

Grisly find in carrier bag

A woman’s body was found in a carrier bag that was left with a Johannesburg street vendor by an unknown man on Monday, Gauteng police said. Spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman said a man left a carrier bag with a vendor on the corner of Pritchard and Goud streets.

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/ 5 November 2007

Fire damages theatres at Jo’burg hospital

Fire damaged five operating theatres at Coronation Hospital in Newclare, Johannesburg, on Monday, causing several patients to be moved to nearby hospitals, the provincial department of health said. Patients who require emergency medical operations were moved to Johannesburg and Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospitals.

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/ 3 November 2007

ISS: Let police probe Scorpions boss

The police are obliged to investigate fraud and corruption charges against Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel if a criminal complaint has been brought, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said on Friday. This would be necessary, even if the complaint was the latest salvo in the police’s ongoing spat with the Scorpions, said senior researcher Jake Moloi.

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/ 2 November 2007

NPA: Probe into Scorpions boss won’t affect Kebble case

A police fraud and corruption investigation into Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel would not impact on his handling of the probe into the death of Brett Kebble, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Friday. ”There is nothing at hand to suggest this investigation will in any way impact on all matters on which advocate Nel is working,” said NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali.