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/ 27 February 2005
A former councillor has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a baby at Mpumalanga’s Ermelo hospital exactly 10 days after she was born, the province’s police said on Saturday. The baby was found at Boschfontein near Komatipoort on South Africa’s border with Mozambique, Captain Abie Khoabane said.
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/ 27 February 2005
Five men drowned and two were washed out to sea during a baptism on Durban’s Suncoast beach in the early hours of Sunday, police said. Captain Gugu Sabela said the men from a congregation in Inanda were taking part in a baptism ceremony just after midnight when the tragedy happened.
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/ 27 February 2005
The Blue Bulls delivered a neat performance to beat the Lions 28-12 in a friendly warm-up match played as a curtain-raiser to the Cats and Bulls Vodacom Super 12 match at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon. Tries by Scott Mathie and Derick Kuun and a conversion and penalty from Morne Steyn gave the visitors a deserved lead at the halfway mark.
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/ 27 February 2005
South Africa’s premier bowlers, Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, are to be rested for the last two matches in the three-match Standard Bank limited-overs series against Zimbabwe, South Africa’s cricket authorities said. South Africa easily beat Zimbabwe in the first match on Friday, and are expected to do the same in the second match on Sunday.
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/ 26 February 2005
The Border Bulldogs proved good value for money in their pre-season rugby friendly in East London at the Absa Stadium on Friday night, beating neighbours the Eastern Province Mighty Elephants 48-19. The Bulldogs backline looked good and while they never always got it right, ran in some fine tries to help take a 27-13 half-time lead.
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/ 26 February 2005
More than 100 belly-dancers shimmied their way into the record books on Friday night, watched by appreciative fathers, husbands and boyfriends. The 116 dancers gathered at the Blairgowrie Recreation Centre from all over Johannesburg, hoping to create the largest number of belly-dancers ever seen gyrating under one roof.
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/ 26 February 2005
A police officer was shot dead and another was critically injured when 11 prisoners escaped from northern KwaZulu-Natal’s Eshowe police station on Friday, police said. Captain Musa Khaba said the police officers were feeding the prisoners in their holding cells when they were overpowered, and shot at. All the prisoners escaped.
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/ 26 February 2005
The young male hippo that made headlines last year after escaping from a nature reserve in Cape Town will soon start his own herd, City Parks and Nature Conservation said on Saturday. The hippo escaped from the Rondevlei Nature Reserve and took up residence in Zeekoevlei for several months until he was recaptured in December.
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/ 26 February 2005
The Stormers made easy meat of the Sharks as they notched up a 26-12 victory in their opening Super 12 match at Newlands on Friday night. Neil de Kock’s side should have led by considerably more than an eight-point margin at the interval, but were left to reflect on a number of missed opportunities through unforced errors and over-elaboration.
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/ 26 February 2005
South Africa put on a ruthless and clinical display to beat Zimbabwe by 165 runs in the first Standard Bank match in front of a crowd of about 7 000 at the Wanderers on Friday. South Africa, sent in by Zimbabwe, made a formidable 301 for the loss of seven wickets in their 50 overs, with 104 runs coming off the last 10 overs.
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/ 25 February 2005
Dolly the dolphin has followed Max the gorilla into animal history, after Port Elizabeth’s famous bottlenose died on Thursday, aged 36. The oldest Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin to be born and bred in captivity died at Port Elizabeth’s Bayworld oceanarium late on Thursday afternoon, Bayworld spokesperson Eluise Matthys said.
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/ 25 February 2005
Ninety youths have been arrested in Giyani and one boy is dead after 39 houses were torched in what appeared to be a witch-hunt, Limpopo police said. ”The 39 houses were burnt to ashes,” said Superintendent Moatshe Ngoepe. ”Those people lost everything — food, blankets, their children’s school uniforms and school books — everything,” he said.
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/ 25 February 2005
A retrial for Dr Wouter Basson could begin within three months from permission being granted, the Constitutional Court heard in Johannesburg on Friday. ”The state believes it will be in a position to commence the trial three months after being given the green light to do so by this court,” Wim Trengove, SC, submitted for the state.
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/ 25 February 2005
A 34-year-old Sebokeng handyman was sentenced to 207 years’ imprisonment on Friday for raping 14 women and attempting to rape another, Free State police said. Lekgaba Molamu used to travel to the Zamdela area of Sasolburg in the Free State where he befriended women between the ages of 14 and 21 under the pretext of offering them jobs.
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/ 25 February 2005
President Thabo Mbeki has paid special tribute to African National Congress stalwart Raymond Mhlaba, who died at the age of 85 last Sunday, calling him one of South Africa’s foremost leaders and ”midwife of our democracy”. Mbeki devoted his weekly column on Friday in the ANC’s online publication, ANC Today, to Mhlaba’s memory.
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/ 25 February 2005
A piece of equipment from a weather balloon caused a stir at the Springs Old Age home when it was mistaken for a bomb on Thursday afternoon, police said. Occupants at the home became suspicious when they heard a ticking noise from a parcel that ended up in the parking lot at about 2.30pm, Superintendent Andy Pieke said.
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/ 25 February 2005
The African National Congress and the Presidency are singling out Afrikaans single-medium schools for interference, harassment and demonisation, says Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon. He condemned the Western Cape education minister for trying to compel an Afrikaans-medium primary school to create a special English-medium class.
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/ 25 February 2005
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Fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik told the Durban High Court on Friday how he helped himself to money from the account of Deputy President Jacob Zuma. The money was donated to Zuma, his long-time friend and the man he served as a financial adviser, by former president Nelson Mandela, the court heard.
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/ 25 February 2005
World number one diamond-miner De Beers said in a statement on Friday said that its planned restructuring at its seven South African diamond mines could see 1 270 people lose their jobs out of a total of 9 442 people employed by De Beers Consolidated Mines. Global resources group Anglo American has a 45% stake in De Beers.
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/ 24 February 2005
The right of the public to information on covert crimes in the apartheid years might justify a proper adjudication of quashed charges against Wouter Basson, a Constitutional Court judge said on Thursday. The South African and Namibian public, especially relatives of people who disappeared, have the right to obtain clarity, Judge Albie Sachs stated.
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/ 24 February 2005
South African captain Graeme Smith will definitely play in the first Standard Bank limited-overs cricket match against Zimbabwe at the Wanderers on Friday. He said the coming series might be tougher than expected. ”You’re not sure about the bowler you’re going to be playing against … you don’t know what you’re going to face.”
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/ 24 February 2005
The Pretoria High Court has made an order compelling the government to provide information on all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) brought into or manufactured in South Africa. The court made the order on Thursday, on the application of the environmental lobby group Biowatch.
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/ 24 February 2005
Year-on-year producer price inflation for all commodities for South African consumption (PPI) came in lower at 1,4% in January, compared with 1,9% in December, Statistics SA said on Thursday. Thus production price in January 2005 had increased by 1,4% from January 2004, but this increase was lower than the 1,9% increase from December 2003 to December 2004.
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/ 24 February 2005
It is unlikely that Laurie Frazer will again commit conspiracy to kidnap, the Supreme Court of Appeal heard on Thursday. The Bloemfontein court heard argument in the case of Frazer, who made headlines in 1997 for failed attempts to get custody of his adopted child and later for plotting to kidnap the baby.
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/ 24 February 2005
Workers in Zimbabwe are beaten, maimed and in some cases even castrated, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Willie Madisha said at this year’s Solidarity trade union congress on Thursday. He said there is a ”very serious problem” with the Zanu-PF ruling party calling itself a ”party of liberation” when workers are killed and beaten.
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/ 24 February 2005
Attorneys for lion murder accused Mark Scott-Crossley may have to go into the witness box to explain whether they acted for his co-accused knowing there was a conflict of interest. Allegations against the attorneys, made earlier in the trial, also remain unchallenged, Judge George Maluleke said in the Phalaborwa High Court on Thursday.
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/ 24 February 2005
After a trial and appeal process lasting close to seven years, it would surely not be fair to allow Dr Wouter Basson to be tried afresh, the Constitutional Court heard in Johannesburg on Thursday. Basson’s lawyer was arguing against the state’s application for leave to appeal against issues arising from Basson’s acquittal on a variety of charges in 2002.
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/ 24 February 2005
Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson said he could never have made remarks comparing his son with African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) spokesperson Zizi Kodwa, as was reported last week. He was commenting on a South African Press Association article about his return from Zimbabwe.
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/ 24 February 2005
A statement from the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) condemning violence was welcomed by Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour on Wednesday. Popcru can reinforce its commitment to discipline and order, Balfour said, by condemning other criminal acts, often committed in prisons.
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/ 24 February 2005
Ajax Cape Town gained three points with a 2-1 local derby win against Santos at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night, but the general feeling afterwards was that it was an undeserving victory. Ajax can thank their reserve goalkeeper, Andre Petim — their regular ‘keeper, Moeneeb Josephs, is suspended — as he brought off several excellent saves.
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/ 24 February 2005
The Premier Soccer League clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Supersport United at Soccer City on Wednesday night was hailed to be the thriller of the season. Instead, the Chiefs faithful sat through a 0-0 draw and they must have felt well let down afterwards, wondering why they didn’t stay home to watch European Champions League action on the telly.
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/ 24 February 2005
The Eagles were crowned Standard Bank Cup champions at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening after a third-wicket partnership of 151 between Boeta Dippenaar and Davey Jacobs ensured that they defeated the Titans by seven wickets. Dippenaar, named man of the match, guided the Eagles to a target of 259 with an excellent 92.