Feuding taxi organisations in the Western Cape have pledged peace as provincial transport minister Mcebisi Skwatsha announced the reopening of violence-racked taxi ranks closed a week ago. Skwatsha also said he has not been facilitating negotiations with a gun against his head.
Cinema group Ster-Kinekor says rival Nu Metro Film Distribution has undermined its efforts to show new movies from Warner International and Fox studios cheaply. As a result, Ster-Kinekor will not be showing Be Cool, Robots or Miss Congeniality II at its Ster-Kinekor Junction cinemas.
Harmony has reached an understanding with Solidarity and the United Association of South Africa on retrenchments at its Free State operations, the company said on Monday. ”The discussions with the other recognised union, the National Union of Mineworkers, ended inconclusively,” Harmony said in a statement.
After deliberations that delayed the intended media conference by three hours at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Friday, SA Rugby finally announced a reshuffle in provincial affiliations in the enlarged Super 14 franchises for the next three years, subject to an annual review and initial three-year trial period.
A magnificent 62 by Tyrone Henderson saw the Warriors clip the Eagles’ talons on Sunday when they beat the defending champions by four wickets in a Standard Bank Pro20 match in Bloemfontein. The home side appeared to be heading for a big total, but the spin bowling of Pieter Strydom and Robin Petersen saw a dramatic middle-order crash.
The link between HIV/Aids and hunger in rural communities has received a great deal of attention over the past few years — particularly in Southern Africa, where HIV/Aids has added a new dimension to the recent food crisis. But research emerging from an international conference last week showed that very little is known about the actual impact of the pandemic on rural communities.
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The Vodacom Blue Bulls face a bruising encounter against the @lantic Pumas in this weekend’s Vodacom Cup. The Bulldogs, buoyed by their outstanding performance against the Vodacom Blue Bulls last week, will look to build on their success when they take on the Mighty Elephants in an Eastern Cape derby match.
International adoptions of South African children are in a state of legal limbo, with legislation to give effect to an international convention signed in 2003 not yet enacted. ”In effect, we have a legal anomaly. We have acceded to a legal convention, but everything that we are doing is ultra vires because it’s not part of our law … We are operating extra-judicially, can you imagine the implications?” asked a family-law specialist.
South Africa is looking at tougher measures to speed up land reform, which could include challenging prices that white farmers are demanding to cede their property, as part of the drive to address injustices from the apartheid era, a top official said. Black ownership of land has increased from 13% at the end of apartheid in 1994 to 16%.
He had no qualms over becoming a state witness in the Boeremag treason trial as he was ”not amused” with what the accused were doing, a self-confessed coup plotter told the High Court on Thursday. Willem Grobler testified that his attorney had advised him to become a state witness shortly after his arrest, as the evidence against him was overwhelming.
An Eskom employee died and another was seriously injured after the collapse of the conductor structure of a transmission line they were busy upgrading in Vanderbijlpark on Wednesday. An Eskom spokesperson said three Eskom employees were sitting on the conductor when the structure collapsed.
Border Bulldogs flyhalf Reinhardt Gerber missed three goal kicks in his team’s 15-12 loss to the Lions in their Vodacom Cup match two weeks ago. The fact that he was kicking in the most atrocious weather did not matter. He still missed three kicks, and took it so personally that he spent hours after the match practising.
Tyron Henderson blazed his way to another match-winning innings to send the Warriors to their second successive victory when they defeated the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins by six wickets in their Standard Bank Pro20 Series cricket match at St George’s Park on Wednesday.
A goal in each half by Brent Carelse saw Ajax Cape Town defeat Wits 2-1 in their Castle Premier League match at Newland on Wednesday. Ajax led 1-0 at the break. Wits came back strongly in the second half, but solid defence by the Ajax defenders kept them out.
Campaigners wanting to see lower fuel prices in South Africa should call on the public to use fuel more efficiently, rather than inviting the public to join a "national campaign to reduce the petrol price" by boycotting certain petrol products, according to the South Africa Petroleum Industry Association.
Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) on Thursday said the planned strike action by a group of workers at its parts warehouse in Gauteng will have no effect on the main manufacturing plant in Uitenhage, where more than 6 000 people are employed. The workers want outsourced packing activities to be performed by VWSA employees.
South Africa’s foreign exchange and gold reserves should be enough to cover at least six months’ imports if higher growth is to be sustained, organised business said on Wednesday. Nedlac’s business convener, Raymond Parsons, was speaking at the launch of the World Bank’s 2005 Global Development Report in Midrand.
Protesting nurses in the North West province will not stop their campaign for uniform allowances until they see concrete proof that it will be increased, union officials said on Wednesday. Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said ”processes are under way to significantly raise the current uniform allowance”.
South African suppliers of flu vaccines have run out, with new stocks expected only in May, the companies said on Wednesday. Sanofi Pasteur, one of the largest suppliers, confirmed that its 2005 southern-hemisphere flu vaccine will not be available in South Africa before May this year, ”and might not be available at all”.
Child-rights activists on Wednesday called on Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool to ensure controversial Central Karoo municipal manager Truman Prince is removed from office. Prince, who has been embroiled in a series of controversies, including involvement with child prostitutes, was suspended and then reinstated last month.
Stormers coach Gert Smal is giving Schalk Burger until Friday to prove his match fitness for Saturday’s Super 12 clash against the Crusaders at Newlands. The 2004 International Rugby Board player of the year strained a calf muscle in last week’s 15-13 win over the Reds. Smal wants to play him at number eight.
All cellphones reported stolen are to be blacklisted in future — rendering them immediately unusable, in terms of a new crime-prevention initiative announced by police and cellphone operators on Wednesday. National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi said the initiative will remove the incentive for cellphone theft and robbery.
The creditworthiness of the South African banking system as a whole remains stable despite the socio-economic pressures it faces, global rating agency Standard & Poors (S&P) has concluded in its latest report on the country. At the end of 2004, South Africa had 21 registered banks, two mutual banks and 15 local branches of foreign banks.
The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union on Wednesday denied reports that it and two other unions had signed an agreement with petrochemicals giant Sasol on improved safety measures at the company. The unions had a meeting with Sasol in Johannesburg on Monday.
Water restrictions will remain in place in the Cape metropolis where dams were below their normal levels because of drought when torrential rains struck at the weekend, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio reported on Wednesday. This is in spite of good rain in the catchment areas of major dams.
The Western Cape transport department is open to resolving the taxi conflict in the region amicably, provincial transport minister Mcebisi Skwatsha said on Tuesday. He was responding to a memorandum handed over after a march earlier in the day by disgruntled taxi operators and drivers.
The Tshwane Metropolitan Council followed due process in registering the name Tshwane with the South African Geographical Names Council, says the body. Meanwhile, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa found the South African Broadcasting Corporation has done nothing wrong by referring to the area as Tshwane in its bulletins.
Criminal charges are being laid against Johannesburg metro police who embarked on an illegal strike about overtime pay last week, metro police chief Chris Ngcobo said on Tuesday. Ngcobo made the announcement after the Johannesburg Labour Court on Tuesday confirmed as valid an interim interdict declaring the strike illegal.
Cape Town mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo complained on Tuesday that she has been the victim of racial profiling by immigration officers at the city’s international airport. She made the claim at the launch in Cape Town of the Department of Home Affairs’ immigration branch, an upgrading of what was previously only a chief directorate.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has submitted its response to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s proposed licence conditions, saying it looks forward to working with the authority on the matter. The submission is part of a process to have the SABC comply with Broadcasting Act amendments.
The Western Cape government has been asked to airlift food parcels to thousands of families affected by torrential rains in the Overberg region, particularly Arniston and Napier. Rivers burst their banks and towns were cut off from the outside world in Sunday and Monday’s deluge, with Bredasdorp among the worst hit.