Jazz musician Robbie Jansen has made a ”miraculous” recovery from a near-comatose condition and is sitting up demanding fruit salad, his relieved record-company executive said on Wednesday. Jansen was admitted to the Tygerberg hospital almost a month ago following his collapse at his home in Elsies River.
A detailed plan for fighting the increasing number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Africa was unveiled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, according to the global Stop TB Partnership. African and international health and development officials met to discuss the ”spiralling epidemic” of TB.
South Africa’s second of three Type 209 submarines was launched in Emden in northern Germany on Wednesday. The boat was christened ”S102”. Speaking during the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Defence Mluleki George said the naming and launching of any vessel is a significant occasion, as it only happens once in its lifetime.
Orlando Pirates increased their lead in the Premier Soccer League by three points when they beat Ajax Cape Town 1-0 at Newlands on Tuesday. Pirates can thank their goalkeeper Francis Chansa for maximum points, as he brought off several excellent saves.
The Zimbabwe government has "little in reserve" to fight off the country’s domestic economic problems and President Robert Mugabe is effectively a rugby fullback facing a front line of opposition, said the Movement for Democratic Change on Tuesday in a post-mortem of the March 31 parliamentary election.
The Freedom of Expression Institute is deeply alarmed at government ”threats” to introduce legislation to make individuals and organisations ”speak responsibly” on sensitive matters. ”It is also highly unfortunate that the government has chosen [World Press Freedom Day] to make these threats,” it said on Tuesday.
The convener of the Springbok selection panel, Peter Jooste, has confirmed that the panel will announce the national squad for the upcoming tours on Saturday May 14. Jooste said the panel will not change the principles of its selection policy, which resulted in nine out of 13 Test wins for the Springboks in 2004.
A Cape Town-based housing innovator who propagates using hemp to curb South Africa’s growing housing problem has not ruled out Constitutional Court litigation to compel the government to revise its dagga legislation. ”There is a strong possibility we will initiate litigation, hopefully within this year,” said Andre du Plessis.
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The Durban High Court heard on Tuesday that the creation of a non-distributable reserve and the rights of three loan accounts in the books of Nkobi Holdings went beyond the accounting knowledge of fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik.
Differing concerns by organised labour and business over a new draft law aimed at controlling the development of cooperatives in South Africa has once again highlighted the opposed economic philosophies of the two groupings. Business sees the future of such enterprises as being characterised by the dictates of a free market.
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Schabir Shaik’s advocate Francois van Zyl complained to the court on Tuesday that parts of his closing arguments, which have not yet been dealt with, appeared in weekend newspapers. ”I assume they had access to your arguments,” said Judge Hillary Squires.
South Africa’s largest gold-miner, AngloGold Ashanti, is looking to achieve cost savings of more than $80-million (R491-million) at its South African gold mines this year, the company’s head of South African operations, Robbie Lazare, said on Tuesday. AngloGold Ashanti previously budgeted on savings of $41,4-million.
Emergency aid is on the way to a village in the Eastern Cape where an outbreak of a tapeworm-related sickness has seen more than 20 children hospitalised. Dozens more were awaiting immunisation on Tuesday from neurocystercercosis, a parasitic brain infection that results from tapeworms.
Mamelodi Sundowns moved to the second spot on the log when they beat struggling Wits University 3-2 in a lively Castle Premier League encounter on Monday. Also, Black Leopards beat Manning Rangers, Lamontville Golden Arrows shared the spoils with Silver Stars and Moroka Swallows defeated Bloemfontein Celtic.
A M&G investigation into covert party funding has revealed how R11-million of public money was diverted to ANC coffers ahead of the 2004 elections.
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Businessman Schabir Shaik’s defence counsel discussed in his closing argument on Friday the deep-rooted friendship between the fraud and corruption accused and Deputy President Jacob Zuma. The defence began it final argument on Friday.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila on Friday suggested the creation of permanent structures to ensure agreements signed between his country and South Africa are put into practice. He was speaking at the start of a Binational Commission meeting he is to co-chair with President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria.
A name change from Pretoria to Tshwane will increase alienation among Afrikaners, the Freedom Front Plus said on Friday. ”We have determined through research that a name change of the capital will continue to increase alienation among the Afrikaner minority,” FF+ MP Willie Spies said in a statement.
The South African Navy submarine SAS Assegaai, decommissioned almost two years ago, will continue serving her country as the main attraction at a planned museum of submarine technology. ”We want to preserve the proud submarine heritage of South Africa,” said Rear-Admiral Arne Söderlund.
France completed their South African safari with a flourish when they registered a resounding 4-1 win in the fourth and final men’s hockey Test at the Gelvan astro in Port Elizabeth on Thursday to share the series. Down 2-0 after the opening games in East London, the Frenchman were deserved winners on Thursday.
Two dead men and one still alive were found wrapped in plastic bags in Booysens Reserve, south of Johannesburg, on Thursday night, police said on Friday. Captain Schalk Bornman said a security guard was patrolling the suburb when he discovered the three men near the corner of Second Street and Sixth Avenue.
The share price of global pulp and paper producer Sappi fell by 4,3% or R2,89 in early trade on Friday after the company said in its second-quarter results that it does not expect its 2005 full-year earnings to match those of 2004. At 9.50am, Sappi’s shares were quoted on the JSE Securities Exchange at R64,50.
The government denied on Thursday claims of radioactive danger in the vicinity of Pelindaba outside Pretoria, and threatened to change the law to sanction anybody spreading baseless alarm in future. ”There is no security or proliferation risk,” Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
Taxi owners cautiously welcomed a new government code unveiled on Thursday for minimum wages and basic employment conditions in the industry. Workers embraced the announcement and warned employers that attempts to violate or undermine the initiative will face ”vigorous challenge”.
”Lion Man” Nelson Chisale’s killers were convicted of his murder on Thursday, more than a year and three months after he was viciously beaten with pangas and then fed to lions at the Mokwalo White Lion Project, near Hoedspruit. Mark Scott-Crossley (37) and Simon Mathebula (41) were each found guilty on a charge of murder.
Environmentalists questioned on Thursday a multimillion-rand contract to build South Africa’s first pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) fuel plant, saying the PBMR company has no legal basis to continue development. The R102-million contract has been awarded to a German company.
The government signed a contract with Airbus Military on Thursday, under which South Africa will become a partner in the A400M airlifter programme and acquire at least eight of the transport aircraft. The Democratic Alliance opposed the deal on Thursday, saying it ”looks set to be another costly mistake”.
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The state on Thursday concluded its argument in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial, saying the controversial encrypted fax is the truth and adds weight to the state’s case. The fax reports an alleged bribe of R500 000 a year for Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
About 14Â 000 jobs were created every month last year compared with 10Â 000 over the previous years, but that was still not enough reduce the unemployment rate, economist Mike Schussler said on Thursday. Schussler, author of the South African Employment Report, was speaking at its launch.
Bomb-disposal experts swept a Phalaborwa courtroom for incendiary devices, the front row of the public gallery was cleared to make way for a line of police crowd-control officers, and parking outside the court was cordoned off in preparation for judgement in the lion murder trial of Mark Scott-Crossley and Simon Mathebula on Thursday.
The retail price of petrol in South Africa is set to rise by 20 cents per litre (c/l) across all grades of petrol from Wednesday May 4, the Department of Minerals and Energy said on Thursday. The increase means that the price of inland 93 grade petrol will rise from R5,02 to R5,22, and to R5,11 a litre at the coast.
The Titans celebrated Freedom Day in style in Pretoria on Wednesday, with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the Warriors in the final of the Standard Bank Pro20 series. The Warriors started reasonably well, with their first 50 coming up in the eighth over, and at 102 for four appeared set for a challenging total.