Pretoria

Ten people were admitted to Pretoria’s Unitas hospital for observation on Wednesday after coming into contact with a substance feared to be anthrax at a government department’s city-centre offices. A departmental registry clerk apparently found a dusting of powder on a bursary application received through the mail.

The number of commercial farming units in South Africa decreased from about 58 000 to about 46 000 between 1993 and 2002, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. Paid employment in the sector dropped from 1 093 265 to 940 815 over the same period.

Twenty-nine trees considered rare or facing over-exploitation have been added to a national list of protected species, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry said on Tuesday. ”The new list of protected tree species heralds a milestone in the history of tree protection in this country,” the department said.

The Department of Health hit out on Wednesday at pharmacies charging medical schemes an across-the-board administration fee rather than billing them for services actually rendered. Some pharmacies charge a fee of 10% upwards of the cost of medicines prescribed, departmental spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said.

Disney Enterprises has lost its bid to set aside an attachment order against its South African-registered trademarks, enabling the family of musician Solomon Linda to sue Disney for royalties in a South African court. Pretoria High Court Judge Hekkie Daniels on Tuesday dismissed Disney’s application against the executors of Linda’s estate.

President Thabo Mbeki and a number of people instrumental in the South African peace process met delegates from the Israeli Likud party in Pretoria on Tuesday. ”It’s not a governmental delegation but a South African delegation,” Mbeki told Israeli Minister of Industry and Trade Michael Ratzon.

Public-sector unions decided on Monday to embark on strike action following their rejection of the government’s 6% wage increase offer, said labour caucus chairperson Fikile Majola. All members of the eight unions will strike, except essential services. The unions represent 700 000 public-service employees.

The Department of Health is willing to negotiate its controversial dispensing fee regulations but will only do so if pharmacists withdraw their court action, the department’s Humphrey Zokufa said on Thursday. ”Yes, we will negotiate, but only if they withdraw their court action,” said Zokufa.

A 25-year-old construction worker was killed when the roof of Centurion Mall in Pretoria collapsed on Wednesday night, Pretoria police said on Thursday. Police spokesperson Captain Piletji Sebola said the man’s body was discovered in the rubble at about 10pm on Wednesday and retrieved at 1.30am.

Ten local councillors from various parties crossed over to the Freedom Front Plus within hours of the floor-crossing window period coming into effect, party leader Pieter Mulder said on Wednesday. Included in the crossings was former chairperson of the New National Party caucus Wrentia Landman.

Preparations are under way for the estimated 10 000 people expected to descend on Pretoria on Tuesday in celebration of the 1956 Women’s Day march. Tshwane metro police said on Monday large parts of the city around the Union Buildings will be closed from early on Tuesday morning to facilitate the crowds.

Judgement was reserved on Tuesday in an urgent High Court application by Disney Enterprises to set aside an attachment order against more than 240 of its trademarks registered in South Africa. The trademarks include well-known images such as Donald Duck and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

The Pretoria High Court has — with ”no hesitation” — set aside rightwinger Eugene Terre’Blanche’s warrant of arrest and has told the Department of Correctional Services to release him from Potchefstroom prison immediately, following his arrest on Saturday for an alleged parole violation.