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/ 13 November 2003

The Giba get their land back

At a ceremony on November 15, members of the Giba community in White River, Mpumalanga, will become owners of Burgers Hall farm — land they were displaced from half a century ago. Handing over Burgers Hall is the first step in the resolution of a land claim that will end up returning 1645 ha of land (which cost R29 232 738) to about 500 households.

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/ 12 November 2003

Fighter jet crashes into highway

Two Impala MK1 fighter pilots died almost instantly on Wednesday morning when their jet crashed 10m from the N4 highway in Mpumalanga’s notorious Crocodile Gorge. One of the pilots was flung through the roof of a passing truck after an apparent attempt to eject from his burning plane.

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/ 12 November 2003

ANC takes two SA by-elections unopposed

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has won two municipal by-elections – in the Western Cape at Breede River/Robertson municipality and at Dealesville in the Free State unopposed — while the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has won a seat at Phillipstown in the Northern Cape unopposed.

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/ 11 November 2003

Land Rights Bill ‘deeply flawed’

A wide range of organisations have gathered in Cape Town to ask Parliament not to pass the Communal Land Rights Bill, which they claim gives too much power to traditional leaders to the detriment of the rural poor. However, the groups differed on how to lobby government to accede to their demands.

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/ 27 October 2003

Phosa, Mbeki head ANC candidate lists

Former Mpumalanga premier-turned-businessman Mathews Phosa has been elected to the provincial African National Congress’s list of provincial and national candidates for next year’s elections, SABC Radio News reported on Monday. The ANC also announced on Monday that President Thabo Mbeki heads the North West’s national candidates nominations list.

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/ 21 October 2003

‘Technikon’ thrown into the rubbish bin

The name Unisa is to remain, a university is to be named after former president Nelson Mandela, and the term technikon is to disappear, Minister of Education Kader Asmal said on Tuesday. He was announcing the new names of higher education institutions that are to merge in terms of a plan approved by the Cabinet last year.

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/ 16 October 2003

SA crime statistics under fire from tourism

The absence of detailed statistics relating to crime on tourism hampers efforts to get a true picture of the situation, says Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism Rejoice Mabudafhasi. The police’s administration system ”does not provide for a distinction between crime against tourists and crime against the general public”, she said.

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/ 14 October 2003

Drought disaster looms in SA

South Africa may be heading for a prolonged drought, which researchers warn could be among the most severe in decades. The country ”is currently experiencing drought conditions over most of the summer rainfall regions”, the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research said.

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/ 6 October 2003

Still no Happy ending

What the heck kind of a name is ”Henry Nick” anyway? The young white prince found wandering in the forests of Mpumalanga, who turned out to be neither young, white nor, in fact, a prince, claims that he has finally discovered the true story of his heritage.

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/ 25 September 2003

Health officials to face the music

Ten of the 12 officials implicated in the draft forensic audit reports on alleged irregularities in the Mpumalanga health department are expected to appear before a tribunal on Thursday. Some of those implicated included former head of the health department Riena Charles and the chief financial officer, Richard Mnisi.

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/ 23 September 2003

5,3m South Africans are jobless

About 5,3-million people in South Africa, or 31,2% of those economically active, were officially unemployed in March this year, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday. The corresponding figures for September and March last year, which Stats South Africa provided earlier, were 30,5% and 29,4% respectively.

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/ 18 September 2003

Senior health officials in financial scandal

A forensic audit of the Mpumalanga health department has recommended criminal proceedings be instituted against two Mpumalanga health department officials implicated in financial mismanagement. The SABC has reported it is in possession of the audit report, which Premier Ndaweni Mahlangu has refused to make public.

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/ 12 September 2003

How the ANC has changed its meaning

How much more proof will be necessary to show that the initials ANC no longer stand for African National Congress? It’s been but nine short years since the Union Buildings became head office to our bold new government, but quite enough time for the ANC, like some insect, to slough off its older and politically shapely exoskeleton, to metamorphose. ANC now stands for the Association of Nepotists and Cronyism.

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/ 11 September 2003

Up the creek

Every traveller has a special place, somewhere he or she keeps going back to and can never get enough of. For me that place has always been the Kruger National Park. And although I’ve stayed in a number of camps, and loved most of them, I have finally found my ”home” in the Kruger, where I could happily spend eternity.

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/ 8 September 2003

Mahlangu urged to prove claims against media

Mpumalanga Premier Ndaweni Mahlangu needs to substantiate his allegations against the media, the National Press Club in Pretoria said on Monday in reaction to a Sunday newspaper advertisement in which Mahlangu lambasted the media.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=20141">’Freedom of the press is a licence to kill'</a>

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/ 28 August 2003

The forgotten province

I have a statement to make — Limpopo is lovely. And now, a sad admission — I have only just completed my first proper visit, after 12 years of living in South Africa. Sharon van Wyk appeals to adventurous holidaymakers to try it out for themselves.