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/ 21 January 2006

Iran: Sanctions threat ‘immature’

Threats of sanctions are against Iran are immature, and a referral to the United Nations Security Council would not help alleviate the nuclear crisis in Iran, its acting Foreign Minister, Mehdi Mostafavi, said on Friday. Speaking after a week-long visit to South Africa, Mostafavi said Iran will not be deterred from its nuclear programme.

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/ 20 January 2006

SA economy ‘can grow much faster’

The South African economy is capable of growing much faster than it has in the past, a panel of experts told a group of government ministers in Pretoria on Thursday. The panel comprised economic and political experts from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of London.

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/ 18 January 2006

Iran starts ‘close consultation’ with SA

Iran on Wednesday started what it termed a ”close consultation” with South Africa on the dispute over its nuclear programme ahead of a key meeting of the United Nations atomic energy agency. ”Our countries have always had positive and constructive negotiations,” Iran’s acting foreign minister told reporters in Pretoria.

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/ 18 January 2006

Tripartite alliance ‘in tatters’ in North West

The tripartite alliance of the ruling African National Congress, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party in the North West is in tatters ahead of the municipal elections, Cosatu said on Wednesday. The SACP and Cosatu were ”marginalised from the alliance processes of drawing up candidate lists”.

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/ 18 January 2006

SA men’s hockey team bounce back to draw

The South African men’s hockey team bounced back from Monday’s embarrassing 8-0 defeat to England to draw 2-2 with Ireland in the first Test at the Tshwane University of Technology on Tuesday night. But there was still disappointment as the South Africans squandered what looked to be a match-winning 2-0 lead.

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/ 17 January 2006

Presidency: No laws broken by UAE trip

No laws had been broken through Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s holiday trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December, the presidency said on Tuesday. Spokesperson Murphy Morobe dismissed as ”preposterous” the view that Mlambo-Ngcuka had abused her power by taking Thuthukile Mazibuko-Skweyiya — wife of Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya — with her on the trip.

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/ 17 January 2006

DA, FF+ want probe into Phumzile’s trip

The Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus have asked Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana to probe Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s recent trip to the United Arab Emirates. The parties want Mushwana to investigate possible violations of the Executive Members Ethics Act by the deputy president.

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/ 11 January 2006

Soshanguve residents protest service delivery

A police officer was injured during violent protests by Soshanguve residents over poor service delivery, Pretoria police said on Wednesday. Inspector Lucas Sithole said five people were also arrested for public violence and malicious damage to property. ”Residents went on the rampage shortly after midnight,” he said.

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/ 9 January 2006

Record-breaking Titans reach final

A record 218-run opening partnership between AB de Villiers and Gulam Bodi saw the Titans cruise to a convincing 10-wicket victory over the Dolphins in their Standard Bank Cup semifinal cricket match at Supersport Park in Centurion on Sunday. The Dolphins scored 212 for five wickets in their 45 overs.

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/ 8 January 2006

DA election candidate shot in Mamelodi

A Democratic Alliance election candidate was shot during an armed robbery while erecting party posters in Mamelodi, the party said on Sunday. Doulien van der Merwe was sitting in her car in Mamelodi on Saturday afternoon talking with DA MP Les Labuschagne when they were approached by at least four assailants, the DA said.

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/ 6 January 2006

Olievenhoutbosch court case postponed

A case of public violence brought against 23 Olievenhoutbosch residents after xenophobic clashes this week was postponed until January 13 in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Two people died and 19 were injured in the clashes between South Africans, Mozambicans and Zimbabweans on Wednesday.

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/ 6 January 2006

DA says housing allocation causes tension

The Democratic Alliance on Friday warned that the ”unfair” allocation of houses to locals and foreigners could exacerbate the situation in Olivienhoutbosch south of Pretoria. Violent clashes broke out between South Africans and foreign nationals from Mozambique and Zimbabwe at the informal settlement on Wednesday after a South African was killed, allegedly by a Zimbabwean.

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/ 5 January 2006

Police officer hurt in Soshanguve protests

A police inspector was injured during a stone-throwing incident at Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, on Thursday when residents demonstrated against poor service delivery, police said. ”The protests started at 3am this morning in Orange Farm informal settlement in Soshanguve,” said Superintendent Piletji Sebola.

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/ 4 January 2006

Tshwane municipality intervenes in riots

Tshwane municipal officials met with the Olievenhoutbosch community on Wednesday in an attempt to defuse clashes between South Africans, Zimbabweans and Mozambicans which have claimed two lives and left at least 11 injured so far. Although no arrests have been made, several of the injured were being held for questioning.

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/ 29 December 2005

Most fuel prices to decrease

The prices of most grades of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin would decrease from one minute past midnight on January 4, the Department of Minerals and Energy announced on Thursday. The retail price of 93 unleaded petrol and lead replacement petrol would decrease by six cents a litre from R5,42 to R5,36.

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/ 23 December 2005

Bucks drown in goal avalanche

Supersport United took a leaf from the goal-scoring fortunes of their city rivals Mamelodi Sundowns when they drowned Bush Bucks with an avalanche of goals at Loftus Versfeld on Thursday evening. United were in no festive mood as they recorded a clinical and comprehensive 6-0 victory over the bottom-of-the-log Bucks.

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/ 23 December 2005

SA man killed in Baghdad blast

Another South African has been killed in Iraq, South African Broadcasting Corporation television news reported on Thursday. Jan Strauss (36) was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad on Thursday morning while driving a car, alone. The former police officer has been working in the country for two years as a bodyguard.

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/ 21 December 2005

Matric exams valid and credible, says Umalusi

This year’s matric exams were valid and credible, education quality assurance body Umalusi said on Wednesday in Pretoria. It found that the country’s matric, adult education and vocational examinations were conducted in line with policy and the results were valid, reliable, fair and credible, said Umalusi chairperson John Pampallis.

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/ 20 December 2005

Boeremag convict to be released

Boeremag convict Dawid Oosthuizen, who was sentenced in 2003 following a plea bargain agreement with the state, is set to be released from jail this week. Pretoria High Court Judge Willie Hartzenberg on Monday afternoon ordered in chambers that the remainder of Oosthuizen’s eight year sentence be converted into correctional supervision.

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/ 16 December 2005

Reconciliation? What reconciliation?

As the South African president pondered the true extent of racial harmony on Friday, a group of rightwingers spurned Reconciliation Day celebrations and assembled separately to lament their perceived loss of power. President Thabo Mbeki said black and white South Africans may be marching in different directions, turning a blind eye to one another.