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/ 13 January 2006
Vehicle-tracking devices are becoming increasingly vital in South Africa, which had 13Â 793 vehicles hijacked and 88Â 144 reported stolen in 2004/05. The country’s three biggest vehicle-tracking companies, Matrix, Tracker and Netstar, have recovered more than 60Â 973 vehicles to date.
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/ 13 January 2006
London- and South Africa-listed financial-services group Old Mutual is currently counting acceptances received from shareholders of Swedish insurer Skandia for its R38-billion offer for the company, which closed at midnight on Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the group.
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/ 13 January 2006
The African National Congress is facing internal rebellion in some of its traditional strongholds ahead of the local government election. A growing number of party members in at least three provinces have indicated they will break ranks and stand as independent candidates.
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/ 13 January 2006
The future of Western Cape Democratic Alliance leader Theuns Botha hangs in the balance after a bitter struggle over the mayoral candidate, Helen Zille. Only a win for his party in Cape Town and other Western Cape mayoral races in March will save his political bacon. While the party is now focused on getting Zille’s campaign into top gear the signs of a bloody battle ahead remain.
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/ 12 January 2006
With more than 500 people relocated because of rain damage to their shacks, Johannesburg’s emergency services has urged people living near water lines and crossing low-lying bridges to exercise caution. Some residents of Klipspruit, Alexandra, Diepsloot, Ennerdale and Kaya Sands had been moved, Gauteng Provincial Services said on Thursday.
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/ 12 January 2006
The Gauteng Department of Education has merged two under-performing schools, Altem Secondary and Orlando Secondary in Orlando, Soweto, it said in a statement on Thursday. The new school will be located at the Orlando Secondary School premises. The step was taken to ”better utilise resources at these schools to ensure quality education”.
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/ 12 January 2006
The case of who killed the single most important human ancestor has finally been laid to rest after more than 80 years of debate and scientific investigation. The announcement that the Taung child was killed by an eagle was made on Thursday at an international conference held at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
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/ 12 January 2006
South African horse racing was struck by yet another tragedy when newly qualified jockey LJ Katjedi (26) died in a car accident on Wednesday night. He had qualified as a jockey on January 3, only eight days before his death, and was due to ride his first races as a professional jockey on Wednesday at the Vaal.
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/ 12 January 2006
South African horse racing was struck by yet another tragedy when newly qualified jockey LJ Katjedi (26) died in a car accident on Wednesday night. He had qualified as a jockey on January 3, only eight days before his death, and was due to ride his first races as a professional jockey on Wednesday at the Vaal.
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/ 12 January 2006
Sexually active gay men in South Africa have been excluded by the SA National Blood Service (SANBC) from donating blood. SANBC spokesperson Ianthe Exall said on Thursday: ”A man who has had sex with another man within the last five years, whether oral or anal sex, with or without a condom or other form of protection, is not permitted to donate blood and must please not do so.”
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/ 12 January 2006
Former state president PW Botha was celebrating his 90th birthday on Thursday with family and friends at his home at Wilderness in the Southern Cape, his daughter Elanza Maritz said. ”He sounded wonderful,” she said. ”He’s really well mentally. He’s 90 years old physically, but mentally he’s really great, razor sharp.”
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/ 12 January 2006
It was part work, part vacation, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said in her first reaction to criticism of her flying to the United Arab Emirates at taxpayers’ expense on an apparent holiday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Thursday.
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/ 12 January 2006
Shots were fired at Johannesburg’s emergency services and police who had rushed to the rescue of three people reportedly swept away by flood waters in Kya Sands on Thursday. ”We arrived at where they were supposed to be washed away and suddenly shots were fired towards the river,” an emergency services spokesperson said.
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/ 12 January 2006
A company has formally applied for a commercial broadcasting licence that, if granted, will see a new subscription television service to Africa operating out of Botswana. Black Earth Communications said on Thursday it has applied with the Botswana National Broadcasting board.
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/ 12 January 2006
Business expectations for the next six months have improved significantly, the South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) said on Thursday. Expectations on sales, new orders and employment were more positive in December than in November 2005, the business lobby said.
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/ 12 January 2006
Three men were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in connection with a violent protest over service delivery in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, police said. ”We arrested three men shortly after midnight this morning on charges of public violence and malicious damage to property,” said Inspector Lucas Sithole.
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/ 12 January 2006
Johannesburg’s emergency services urged caution near bridges and rivers on Thursday as another night of heavy rains raised flood fears. A tow-truck driver rescued a woman who was swept away in her car while crossing a bridge on Witkoppen Road in Sunninghill and two taxis were involved in a head-on collision on the Golden Highway.
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/ 12 January 2006
The pride of the pharaohs is at stake — and coach Ted Dumitru expects a fierce onslaught from Egypt when Bafana Bafana face the African Nations Cup hosts in a final warm-up encounter at the International Stadium in Cairo on Saturday. ”Egypt are making a special effort to achieve success on home soil,” Dumitru said.
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/ 12 January 2006
More than 140 people were left homeless on Thursday morning after a fire destroyed 30 shacks at Barcelona informal settlement in Gugulethu, South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported. The report said firefighters managed to put out the blaze.
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/ 12 January 2006
Only one Johannesburg suburb remained without power on Wednesday evening after electricity was restored to 80% of the areas affected by a power failure, a City Power spokesperson said. This follows an electrical fire in an underground cable system below Commissioner Street on Wednesday morning.
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/ 12 January 2006
The Phokwane local municipality in the Northern Cape has paid a salary of more than R1-million to a suspended municipal manager who has not been working for more than two years, the South African Broadcasting Corporation website reported on Wednesday. The official was suspended in July 2003.
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/ 12 January 2006
As the disciplinary hearing of controversial Central Karoo municipal manager Truman Prince got under way on Wednesday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Special Assignment team came under fire for refusing to become involved in the proceedings. Prince has pleaded not guilty to seven charges.
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/ 12 January 2006
Bolivian president-elect Evo Morales forgives the United States for past humiliations and welcomes dialogue, he said in Pretoria on Wednesday during a two-day visit to South Africa. He also said he has learned much during his visit about transformation in South Africa under former president Nelson Mandela and President Thabo Mbeki.
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/ 11 January 2006
South Africa’s Competition Tribunal on Wednesday approved Vodafone’s bid to buy a 15% stake in local operator Vodacom in a multibillion-dollar deal, paving the way for the second-largest investment in the country since the end of apartheid. The deal is worth about ,4-billion (R14,5-billion).
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/ 11 January 2006
The asset forfeiture unit has been granted a provisional order to attach the home and pension of top Port Elizabeth police detective Derrick Norsworthy, who allegedly gambled away stolen police exhibit money. He was arrested for alleged theft and for gambling with loot he and other police officers had allegedly recovered from criminals.
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/ 11 January 2006
The South African Under-23 soccer team, Amaglug-glug, beat neighbours Lesotho 1-0 to qualify for the semifinals in the Sasol Under-23 Nations Tournament played at the George Thabe Stadium in Sharpeville on Wednesday. Amaglug-glug led 1-0 at the break.
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/ 11 January 2006
Former state president PW Botha, who turns 90 on Thursday, will spend the day with friends and family, his eldest daughter, Elanza Maritz, said on Wednesday. There will be ”coming and going” all day at Die Anker, Botha’s riverside home at Wilderness in the Southern Cape.
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/ 11 January 2006
Minister of Education Naledi Pandor visited three Limpopo schools on Wednesday to give teachers and pupils pep talks and check that schooling had begun, her department said. Spokesperson Tommy Makhode said Pandor visited two schools at Seshego and another at Lebowakgomo.
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/ 11 January 2006
A possible flood emergency at Standerton in Mpumalanga has not materialised after less water flowed into the Grootdraai Dam than expected, authorities said on Wednesday afternoon. Police spokesperson Superintendent Amanda Peens said the outflow of the dam, which is 114% full, will be maintained at 850 cubic metres per second.
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/ 11 January 2006
London- and South Africa-listed financial-services group Old Mutual is likely to unveil a far higher level of acceptances related to its R38-billion takeover offer for Swedish insurer Skandia than the current 64,3% after the tender offer closes at midnight on Thursday.
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/ 11 January 2006
Pro-democracy activists in Swaziland are planning mass action against the kingdom’s leader, King Mswati III, following the December arrest of 14 opposition party members on high-treason charges. Youth organisations will be called on to participate in mass action, which will take place in Swaziland and South Africa.
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/ 11 January 2006
South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested in a letter that President Thabo Mbeki take action over what it described as ”the possible abuse of state resources” by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. It is estimated that a holiday — described by DA MP Gareth Morgan as ”a gravy plane holiday” — to the United Arab Emirates in December cost about  000.