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/ 17 December 2007

DA: Is NPA going to charge Selebi or not?

Uncertainty over the prosecution of police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi was not in anyone’s best interest, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said. The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Tlali Tlali said on Sunday that a decision had been made on whether Selebi ”has a case to answer”.

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/ 14 December 2007

Zuma-led ANC will cost IFP dearly

A Jacob Zuma-led African National Congress will have a major impact in KwaZulu-Natal, analysts and politicians in the province said on Friday. They agreed the ANC’s popularity in the province would increase at the expense of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) if Zuma was elected the party’s new leader in Polokwane next week.

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/ 14 December 2007

Mercedes-Benz signs up for green power

Amatola Green Power, the only company selling green power in South Africa, announced a deal this week to sell electricity to its first corporate customer, Mercedes-Benz. Amatola, which buys excess energy that sugar giants produce from bagasse, a waste product produced from sugar cane, will sell the electricity to Mercedes-Benz in terms of an agreement with the City of Tshwane.

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/ 12 December 2007

Kunene appears in Free State court, case postponed

The IT technician caught up in the hoax-email saga, Muziwendoda Kunene, appeared in the Kestell Magistrate’s Court in the eastern Free State on Wednesday. A court official said the matter was postponed to January 23 2008 for further investigation. ”He is facing a provisional charge of murder and will stay in custody at the Kroonstad Prison.”

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/ 12 December 2007

DJ Sbu caught doing 257km/h

The motorist who was caught doing 257km/h in his silver Audi TT on Sunday night has been named as Ukhozi FM’s DJ Sbu, Talk Radio 702 reported on Wednesday. DJ Sbu, or Sbusiso Leope, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. He was released on R1 000 bail, Johannesburg metro police said on Wednesday.

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/ 11 December 2007

Kunene in Bethlehem court, case postponed

The man caught up in the national hoax email saga, Muziwendoda Kunene, briefly appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court in the Free State on Tuesday. A court official said Kunene’s case was postponed and transferred to the Kestell Magistrate’s Court, where he was expected to appear on Wednesday.

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/ 10 December 2007

Zuma slams abuse of citizens’ rights

History is littered with the legacy of tyrants and leaders who abused the rights of citizens to hold on to power, African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma said on Monday. He was delivering the keynote address on International Human Rights Day at Wits University in Braamfontein. Zuma said some leaders still did not understand the needs of the people or their rights.

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/ 6 December 2007

Opposition lament new crime statistics

Opposition parties have lamented the increases in crime detailed in the latest statistics for April to September, which were released on Thursday. It was deplorable and made a mockery of Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula’s assurances that the crime rate was under control, Democratic Alliance spokesperson Diane Kohler-Barnard said.

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/ 6 December 2007

New exhibition celebrates struggle hero Biko

Holding the reigns of the ox-wagon that is pulling his father’s coffin, Nkosinathi Biko sits alone and solemnly among the masses of people. Surrounded by a throng of supporters, angry and tearful, he cuts a figure of solitude. A hero of the struggle is dead — but now lives on through the work of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.

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/ 6 December 2007

Three killed, N3 closed again after truck pile-up

Three people were killed and the N3 to Durban was closed on Thursday morning after a truck veered into another lane, leading to a massive pile-up, a KwaZulu-Natal transport department spokesperson said. Zinhle Mngomezulu said a truck travelling to Johannesburg left its lane at about 6am and ended up facing the traffic that was heading to Durban.

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/ 6 December 2007

Sixth baby dies from klebsiella

The klebsiella death toll at Durban’s Prince Mshiyeni Hospital has risen to six. This follows the deaths of five other babies at the hospital two weeks ago. The deceased’s mother, Lungile Ngema, said that nurses had taunted her, saying mothers who gave birth at home brought the disease to the hospital.

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/ 4 December 2007

Four injured in Durban taxi war

Paramedics have confirmed that four people were injured after a taxi turf war broke out involving taxi associations from around Durban on Tuesday. Police said some associations were attempting a takeover of a taxi rank. The incident happened just three hours before the unveiling of the province’s summer-holiday road-safety plan.

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/ 4 December 2007

The great Zuma debate

In the fierce debate raging around the man tipped to become South Africa’s next president, African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma, there are few neutrals. With less than a fortnight to go before the ruling party’s national conference in Polokwane, reports show a country split over the politician.

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/ 3 December 2007

Negligence costs Health Dept millions

Negligence or malpractice at public hospitals has cost the Health Department millions of rands in damages awards over the past few years, Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has said. However, such cases are rare exceptions to the usually excellent care provided, she said in a written reply to a parliamentary question by Gareth Morgan of the Democratic Alliance.

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/ 3 December 2007

SA beaches to benefit from clean-up campaign

Nineteen beaches around the country are set to benefit from a massive clean-up of South Africa’s coastline during the festive season, Vodacom announced on Monday. Beaches in the Eastern and Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will benefit from the third annual Vodacom Beach Clean-Up Campaign, which will run over 23 days, starting on December 15.

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/ 3 December 2007

On rape and race at UKZN

South Africa’s deep race, class and gender divisions can manifest in very ugly ways. One such unfortunate method is the adoption of crass nationalist and cultural frameworks to legitimise the superficial racialising of political spaces. Such destructive posturing was on display last week at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in the wake of the furore that has emerged after a series of rapes and assaults, which highlighted the precarious security situation at the university.

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/ 2 December 2007

Toddlers safe after night in hijacked car

Two Pietermaritzburg toddlers were found safe on Sunday morning after spending the night in a hijacked bakkie, said KwaZulu-Natal police. Superintendent Henry Budhram said an Ashdown resident, who had heard radio broadcasts of the hijacking, went to investigate when he saw the Nissan double cab parked in Bhekezulu Road at 7am.