South Africa

Surviving offenders, who held four Zonderwater prison staff hostage on Sunday, have been taken to Pretoria’s C-Max high security prison, a source in the Zonderwater prison said. ”They are not here anymore and I have heard that Ngobese, the leader, is dead. He had a firearm,” said control room operator Solomon Masilela.

The Soweto Marathon on Sunday ended yet again in controversy when the women’s winner Mamarola Tjoka was adjudged not to have crossed the start line. The athlete arrived at the start late and began the race beyond the start line which according to officials had infringed the laws.

Gibson Njenje, suspended head of operations of the National Intelligence Agency, has announced his resignation. In a joint statement with Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils issued on Sunday, Njenje said he had informed Kasrils of his resignation as head of operations as well as from the agency itself.

United States envoy Christopher Dell could be expelled for what is seen as his meddling in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe’s Herald Online reported on Monday. It said precedent showed host countries reserved the right to expel a diplomat whose behaviour they feel was unbecoming or undiplomatic.

Six South Africans were among 300 passengers who survived a weekend pirate attack on a luxury liner bound for Kenya, the Cape Times website reported on Monday. It said the ship’s purser declined to name the six South Africans or to reveal which cities they were from.

President Thabo Mbeki is expected to be called as a witness in former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial, media reports said on Sunday. It is understood that Mbeki and a number of Cabinet ministers have been informed they are witnesses.

The eight young elephants that survived burn injuries in veld fires in the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve will be released back into the wild. The elephants will be kept in bomas and will eventually be released to join herds. Three female elephants have already been identified as possible matriarchs for the orphaned elephants.

A further two accused have been added to the indictment against former deputy president Jacob Zuma, the National Prosecuting Authority said on Friday. Thint Holding (Southern Africa), formerly known as Thomson-CSF, and Thint, formerly known as Thomson, will be accused numbers two and three respectively.

Ster-Kinekor on Friday said it has reached an agreement with Nu Metro Film Distribution over its new pricing strategy. In terms of the agreement, more than half of Ster-Kinekor’s theatres will remain Junction sites, selling tickets from R14. Six existing Junction cinemas will be converted into Classic cinemas.

South African oil company Imvume Management has taken steps to institute legal proceedings against the committee appointed by the United Nations to investigate irregularities in Iraq’s oil-for-food programme relating to accusations of kickbacks against Imvume and sister company Montego.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will formally serve an indictment on axed deputy president Jacob Zuma on Friday. NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said an agreement will be made between Zuma’s lawyers and the authority on who will receive the papers.

Chart-topping British singer Robbie Williams will be in South Africa for a three-day national tour next year. He is expected to perform in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, possibly in April. Often referred to as one of the greatest pop icons of our time, Williams has sold more than 40-million albums worldwide.