South Africa

Judgement will be passed in the Durban High Court on Tuesday on the state’s bid to seize R34-million in assets from convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported. Judge Hilary Squires reserved his ruling on the matter on January 19. A written judgement will be handed down.

Without government support, a proposal to provide electricity to the informal settlements that ring the Namibian capital, Windhoek, is likely to be shelved because residents cannot afford the connection costs. The communities have complained about the lack of electricity, and street lighting in particular.

Former cricket supremo Ali Bacher confirmed on Monday that beleaguered rugby boss Brian van Rooyen has asked him to ”facilitate” an exit from the South African Rugby Union (Saru) for him. Bacher, who joined the Saru board last year, said he met Van Rooyen last week to discuss the latter’s exit from rugby.

Several shacks in informal settlements around Pretoria were flooded on Monday after the city had about 100mm of rain in an hour, emergency services said. Spokesperson Johan Pieterse said on Tuesday that shacks in Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa were flooded and some moved after the heavy rain.

Lesotho’s foreign minister was shot and wounded in a weekend attack at his house, a media report said on Monday. It quoted police as saying Monyane Moleleki was attacked by several gunmen as he arrived at his home in the capital, Maseru, after midnight on Sunday.

The Inkatha Freedom Party’s bid to have the sacking of 15 of its councillors reviewed will probably only happen after the local government elections, the IFP’s legal counsel said on Monday. Fifteen of the party’s councillors in the Abaqulusi municipality, near Ulundi, were sacked last year.

South African authorities have confirmed reports showing that the massive influx of illegal immigrants into the country shows no signs of abating. A total of 2 386 illegal immigrants have been arrested by the South African police since December 29, Limpopo police spokesperson Ronel Otto said on Monday.

Natal provincial division Deputy Judge President Thabane Jali has resigned and will probably vacate his chambers at the end of February, Judge President Vuka Tshabalala said. ”He has got a better offer — in the private sector I think,” Tshabalala told the South African Press Association.

Muziwendoda Kunene, the man alleged to be at the centre of the African National Congress spy and hoax e-mail saga has re-appeared, two weeks after he was reported missing. National police spokesperson Sally de Beer said Kunene voluntarily reported to the Douglasdale police station in Johannesburg at about 2pm on Sunday.

South African cricket boss Gerald Majola has threatened to boycott tours of Australia if the racial abuse towards the Proteas continues, media reports said on Monday. Its website quoted Majola as saying: ”It is very serious and if it continues, yes, we would look very seriously about whether we return here for another series.”

About 100 Zimbabweans are illegally crossing into South Africa daily in search of jobs, Harare’s Herald newspaper reported on Monday. It said South African authorities arrested about 25 of the border jumpers daily. This, however, did not stop people from illegally crossing the crocodile-infested Limpopo.

Controversial oil dealer Sandi Majali is suing Minister of Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya for R149-million, according to media reports. Majali was to have received a contract to dispense social grants on behalf of the government, but the Department of Social Development pulled out of the deal.