BHP Billiton South Africa on Monday donated R1-million towards the fight against aggravated robberies, bulk syndicated theft, commercial crime and corruption. The money was donated to Business against Crime South Africa, an organisation that supports the government’s fight against crime.
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Jacob Zuma will have to wait for more than a month for the corruption trial he believes will clear his name after it was adjourned to September 5 by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday. In less than two hours judge Herbert Msimang adjourned the trial to allow the defence and the state time to prepare replies and heads of argument to the state’s application for a postponement.
South Africa’s language education policy has after nine years not yet been put into effect ”convincingly”, Education Minister Naledi Pandor said on Monday. ”Resources have not been made available in amounts that would give effect to the policy,” Pandor told the Language Colloquium in Cape Town.
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Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial was adjourned until September 5 after a short session at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday. Judge Herbert Msimang did not accept state prosecutor Wim Trengove’s assertion that it should be postponed till September 7 because colleague Anton Steynberg would be overseas at a conference.
South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will try to establish exactly which Members of Parliament are — or were — indebted to Parliament for the improper use of air travel vouchers. Chief whip Douglas Gibson said it appeared that some thought the scandal should be swept under the carpet.
Cape Judge President John Hlophe on Monday acceded to a defence proposal to postpone Parliament’s Travelgate trial. Hlophe postponed the case to October 17. Twenty-eight people — 23 current and former MPs and five travel agents — are in the dock for the alleged defrauding of Parliament of about R24-million.
Presidency official Titus Mafolo was free to join "any organisation" of his choice as a citizen, says South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Responding to a question from Democratic Alliance MP OM Thetjeng on Monday who asked whether the "Native Club" was a presidential initiative or was government funded, she said the club was not an initiative of the president.
Police were on Monday still investigating an attack on 11 British schoolchildren who were robbed of R10Â 000 and ten cellphones in Honeydew early last week, West Rand Police said. The pupils are part of a group on a rugby and netball tour in South Africa.
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Former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial began shortly after 10am in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday with Judge Herbert Msimang at the helm. Zuma had smiled and nodded his head when asked how he was feeling as he entered court A.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has been on strike since 6pm on Sunday at Kumba Resources and the union will be consulting its members at 6pm on Monday regarding Kumba’s latest offer, NUM Kumba representative Jackie Tshimanegape said.
Anglo Platinum announced a significant improvement on Monday in headline earnings for the half-year ended 30 June 2006. Headline earnings per share, attributable to ordinary shareholders, increased by 117% to R20,02 per share, the company said in a statement in Johannesburg.
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KwaZulu-Natal Premier S’bu Ndebele joined African National
Congress secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe and KwaZulu-Natal finance minister Zweli Mkhize in the front row of the Pietermaritzburg
High Court ahead of Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial on Monday.
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KwaZulu-Natal judge president Vuka Tshabalala was on Monday morning still not providing the name of the man who will preside over African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma’s corruption case. ”You don’t have long to go before he [the judge] enters the court,” Tshabalala said on Monday, barely an hour before Zuma’s case begins in Pietermaritzburg.
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Jacob Zuma on Sunday spoke out against what he described as infighting within the ruling African National Congress. ”Fighting for positions is wrong and should not be influenced by sources within the media,” he told the South African Communist Party’s (SACP) anniversary rally in Pietermaritzburg.
Foreigners with scarce skills will in future find it easier to immigrate to South Africa, President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday after a three-day Cabinet lekgotla (meeting). The president also addressed crime, the 2010 Soccer World Cup, transformation in the judiciary and the backlog in environmental impact assessments.
The grounded Safmarine Agulhas is an unsalvageable wreck and the rest of its cargo cannot be removed, the National Port Authority (NPA) said on Saturday. ”It’s now referred to as a wreck … It can’t be re-floated,” said NPA East London spokesperson Terry Taylor.
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Pietermaritzburg hotels on Sunday reported high occupancy rates, considered ”unusual” for this time of year. Many of the hotels were filled with police officers, journalists and Zuma supporters ahead of his upcoming corruption trial on Monday. Pietermaritzburg tourism director Melanie Veness said: ”There is very little [accommodation] available. It’s very unusual for this time of year.”
The ability to intercept passes and create try scoring chances from turnovers enabled the Free State Cheetahs to take four valuable points from their exciting top-of-the-table Absa Currie Cup rugby encounter as they toppled the Sharks 31-19 in Durban on Saturday evening.
Three people were taken to hospital following a huge toxic spill from a leaking tanker on the N1 north of Pretoria, Tshwane emergency services said on Saturday night. Spokesperson Johan Pieterse said 21Â 000 litres of nitric acid spilled from a tanker truck that had stopped at the Panorama Petroport and tollgate on the N1.
Western Province overturned a 22-7 deficit to run out 30-28 winners over the Lions in a scrappy Currie Cup match at Newlands on Saturday. The teams were deadlocked 25-all after an eventful first half that featured seven tries. Mistakes were made and there was some awful defence, but also some good rugby.
South Africans must defeat the tendency towards worshipping personal wealth, President Thabo Mbeki said on Saturday evening. He was addressing the fourth Nelson Mandela annual lecture at Wits University in Johannesburg. Personal wealth is becoming the distinguishing feature of the new citizen of the new South Africa, he said.
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African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma made a surprise guest appearance at the 85th anniversary fund-raising dinner of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in Durban on Saturday night. Zuma said: ”South Africa is an amazing country where communists and capitalists can sit [at] the same table.”
Former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has signed a four-year deal to take charge of 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, officials said on Saturday. The deal was concluded in Rio de Janeiro on Friday after talks between Parreira and a delegation from the South African Football Association.
Eleven British school pupils, who were part of a group on a rugby and netball tour in South Africa, were attacked and robbed of R10Â 000 and 10 cellphones in Honeydew earlier this week, West Rand police said on Saturday. ”The pupils were having a farewell party … on Tuesday at about 11pm when eight men attacked them,” said Captain Siphiwe Ndlovu.
An Odendaalsrus man who held his girlfriend and two-year-old boy hostage in a house in Kutlwanong was overpowered by police early on Saturday morning, Free State police said. ”This morning at about 6am members of the task force from Pretoria went into the house and managed to arrest the suspect,” Superintendent William Mokoena said.
The South African Post Office and the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) signed a wage agreement on Friday ranging from a 5% increase for the highest paid workers to 9% for the lowest-paid workers. According to the agreement, other items agreed on include a R50 increase in the monthly housing subsidy and an extension on family responsibility leave for bereavement or illness.
The Falcons scored six tries to one to run out comfortable 36-8 winners in their Absa Currie Cup clash with the Pumas in Witbank on Friday night. The Falcons were never really in trouble, although they did go behind to an 18th minute Pieter Benade penalty.
Rough justice meted out to suspected Lesotho cattle rustlers — shooting dead one and cutting off the ears and a hand of each of two others — by KwaZulu-Natal stock owners was visited by 16-year jail sentences by the Pietermaritzburg High Court Friday. The stock owners were sentenced for murder, attempted murder and robbery.
A Pretoria High Court judge on Friday in no uncertain terms said the courts were fed up with the high rate of crime and with the disregard criminals had for the life of innocent people. He warned that criminals would feel the brunt of the law. This speech, by Judge Aubrey Ledwaba, was prompted by the killing of a Brakpan couple — Phillipus Meyburg (53) and his wife Ria (39).
Internationally successful South African rock act Seether’s front man, Shaun Morgan, has entered a rehabilitation clinic, and the band have cancelled all their August appearances until further notice. Morgan has established himself as one of the leading singers in rock over the past five years.
The Young Communist League (YCL) has accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of ”hiding crooks who have political interests”. Addressing a crowd of about 1Â 500 people in Durban on Friday, the KwaZulu-Natal deputy general secretary of the YCL, Buthi Manamela, said: ”There are crooks hiding in the NPA under the guise of prosecutors.”
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South African trade unionists and communists rallied on Friday to demand authorities drop corruption charges against former Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Zuma is set to stand trial on Monday in a case that could wreck or resurrect his presidential hopes.