Supersport United scored maximum points when they beat Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 in a Castle Premiership tie played at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Wednesday. United’s Dikgang Mabalane atoned for his failure in the first half when he scored in the 52nd minute, tapping in a clinical pass from Ticotico Bucuane.
Behaviour that undermines the image of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will not be tolerated, the SANDF said on Wednesday in response to allegations of misconduct by soldiers abroad. Four SANDF officers on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are under investigation for misconduct.
Former Labour Party leader and later African National Congress MP Reverend Allan Hendrickse died suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, his family confirmed. Hendrickse’s son, Peter, also an ANC MP, said his father suffered a fatal heart attack at the Port Elizabeth airport at about 2pm on Wednesday.
A group of suspected mercenaries in a Zimbabwean jail might have to wait until Monday for the outcome of an application to appeal the men’s deportation to South Africa. Their lawyer, Alwyn Griebenow, said Zimbabwe’s chief justice reserved judgement on the matter, which was heard on Wednesday morning.
Fiery Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille clashed with the lawyer of former ID Western Cape leader Lennit Max when Max’s disciplinary hearing resumed on Wednesday. She repeatedly told the lawyer, Leon van Rensburg, to ”keep quiet” as he cross-examined her, and told him she was laughing at his ”silly remarks”.
The Constitutional Court reserved judgement on Wednesday on the Department of Health’s application relating to disputed medicine-pricing regulations, without ruling immediately on which regulations are currently in force. The department had asked the court for leave to appeal a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that declared its new regulations invalid.
Another R400-million will be spent to upgrade Johannesburg’s electrical infrastructure, a city councillor said on Wednesday. This is in addition to R500-million already invested in the past two financial years to end the scourge of power cuts, said Brian Hlongwe, a councillor responsible for municipal services.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is asking the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal against a series of fraud convictions. The Pretoria High Court early in February dismissed an application by Madikizela-Mandela for leave to appeal to the SCA for her conviction on 43 counts of fraud and a suspended sentence.
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A handful of South African trade unionists gathered outside the Zimbabwe embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday morning for a picket in support of workers’ rights in that country. Congress of South African Trade Unions representative Jantjie Chiloane said more protesters were expected to arrive by bus from Johannesburg.
Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer has made five changes to the side who lost 23-0 to the Highlanders last week for Saturday’s Super 12 clash against the Hurricanes in Wellington, New Zealand. Meyer has decided to keep Bryan Habana at centre, and there are reprieves for out-of-form midfielder Ettienne Botha and flyhalf Derick Hougaard.
Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has told the National Assembly that the secondary tax on companies (STC) "will not disappear as long as the African National Congress is in government". The official opposition Democratic Alliance has called for "the usefulness of the secondary tax to be reassessed".
Universities have a key role to play in raising the quality of life of all South African citizens, President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday. ”Education is the key to unlocking each person’s potential and improving the quality of life in general,” he said on opening the University of Pretoria’s new law-faculty building.
A boy attacked by lions at a nature reserve near Krugersdorp on Sunday would have been dead but for his courage and respect for the animals, a curator said. The manager of the reserve said the boy was attacked while showing his girlfriend the lions, ”which the curator refused [to allow] without being … present himself”.
The trade union Solidarity is to join an investigation into the latest accident at Sasol’s Secunda plant on Tuesday, which left a man dead. The man died on Tuesday morning in an accident on the second day of a commission of inquiry into the September blast that left 10 dead and 360 injured.
The setting of medicine prices came under intense scrutiny at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday. The court is being asked for leave to appeal a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that the new medicine-pricing regulations invalid are invalid. Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told journalists the case is all about access to safe and affordable medicines.
One of four Waterkloof youths accused of killing a man in a park in 2001 has denied stabbing the man. Christoff Becker (19) also denied in his Pretoria Regional Court trial on Tuesday that he or co-accused Gert van Schalkwyk was involved in an assault on another man the same day.
Black economic empowerment in agriculture (AgriBEE) will also benefit white farmers and companies who become involved with it, the National African Farmers’ Union (Nafu) said on Tuesday. ”AgriBEE is voluntary and incentive-driven. This will benefit farmers and companies which choose to get involved by helping black farmers,” said Nafu’s BigMan Maloa.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu reacted wearily on Tuesday to the latest claims of a right-wing agenda levelled against him by the African National Congress. ”I am old now,” he sighed, asked for comment on the matter after delivering an address at the University of Pretoria. ”I let some of these things go off my back like water.”
A man died in an accident in an operation run by a contractor at Sasol’s Secunda plant in Mpumalanga on Tuesday morning. The employee of a company called Fluor was working in the pipe-fabrication shop, said Mark Flower, Fluor’s marketing director. The fabrication facility is operated by Fluor within the boundaries of Sasol’s Secunda plant.
South Africa’s film industry has exploded on to the world stage with a spate of award-winning movies in the space of a few weeks. The domestic audience, though, remains in Hollywood’s thrall. Yesterday, the poignant tale of a woman infected with the Aids virus, narrowly missed out on an Oscar for best foreign language film. It was the first South African film to be nominated for an Oscar.
South Africa has to make space for policy-making structures to avoid political unrest over land reform, the executive director of the African Institute of Agrarian studies said on Monday. Professor Sam Moyo was speaking at a farmers’ summit held by the National Farmer’s Union in Pretoria.
Bantu Holomisa, the president of the United Democratic Movement, has fired arrows laced with poisonous words at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. He has accused the reserve of killing the Kruger National Park’s wildlife. But the TPNR’s management is convinced of the reserve’s innocence and is fighting back, even threatening legal action.
A prospective buyer has offered the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) R7-million for its luxury beachfront mansion in Cape Town. The luxury Sunset Beach dwelling, dubbed variously the ”spook house” and ”Lindiwe’s folly” in reference to former intelligence minister Lindiwe Sisulu, has been on the market for at least nine months.
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Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s legal adviser Linda Makathini saw only a copy of a loan agreement between Zuma and Schabir Shaik, the Durban High Court heard on Monday. Since the start of Shaik’s trial, the state has been trying to locate the original loan document.
A prison warder on escort duty was shot dead and another injured in an attack by gunmen at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur hospital on Monday morning, police said. Police spokesperson Captain Billy Jones said the incident took place at the hospital’s outpatients reception area shortly after 10am, when four warders brought a prisoner in for medical treatment.
Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool promised protesting taxi drivers on Monday to intervene personally if their negotiations with the provincial transport ministry fail. On Monday, taxi drivers made good on threats a few months ago to blockade tourist attractions, with a cavalcade of metered sedans disrupting traffic in central Cape Town.
Listed South African hotel and gaming group Peermont Global continues to look at further acquisitions to boost its growth in 2005, and is currently examining "alternative methods" for funding this investment since the company has reached its maximum level of gearing, according to CEO Ernie Joubert.
Zimbabwe’s convener of cricket selectors, Max Ebrahim, on Monday dismissed suggestions that Zimbabwe have no place in Test cricket. Speaking after Zimbabwe’s second-innings defeat by South Africa on Sunday, Ebrahim said there are many positives that can be taken from Zimbabwe’s performance, particularly from some of the younger players.
The top structure of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has backed gender parity — half women, half men — for its candidates for the upcoming local government election. The election is scheduled to take place between December 6 2005 and March 5 2006. President Thabo Mbeki made a similar statement in his internet letter on Friday.
The SWD Absa Eagles defeated the Border Bulldogs 35-20 in a Vodacom Cup game played at Outeniqua Park on Saturday. The half-time score was 18 -8 in favour of the home team. The Eagles earned a valuable bonus point with their four tries scored. The game was typical of a first game of the season and both teams were guilty of poor handling.
A hat-trick by Santos’ Jean MarcIthier helped to bury the second-division outfit Cemforce from Kimberley by 6-0 in an Absa Cup knockout match played at the Athlone Stadium on Saturday. However, credit must go to Cemforce, who never said die and chased every ball as if their lives depended on it.
The Lions got the defence of their Vodacom Cup crown off to a shaky yet somewhat satisfying start as they ran in four tries to two to beat the plucky Griffons 29-14 at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon. The home team led 17-7 at the break. The Lions were pushed hard by the Griffons for most of the first 40 minutes.