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/ 17 January 2005
The South African government was mum on Monday on the fate of a suspected spy arrested in Zimbabwe in a trap laid by one of his ”informants”. The Department of Foreign Affairs referred enquiries to the intelligence services, while the Presidency directed reporters to the department. Media reports said the South African agent is being held by Zimbabwean authorities.
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/ 17 January 2005
Firearms handed in to police in three provinces in the first two weeks of a three-month amnesty period were mostly legal weapons. On Monday, about 560 firearms had been already been handed over to police in Gauteng, who also received more than 21 000 rounds of ammunition, of which most were handed in voluntarily.
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/ 17 January 2005
The United States wants to resolve the issue of the debt burden that is crippling the growth of many African countries, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown said on Monday. He was addressing journalists in Cape Town, where he is attending a Commission for Africa meeting. Progress in this area, he said, is possible in the next few months.
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/ 17 January 2005
A five-wicket haul by England’s Matthew Hoggard after lunch on the fifth and final day of the fourth Castle Lager/MTN Test at the Wanderers on Monday has put England in sight of victory. At tea, South Africa were 98 for five. They needed 217 more runs to win, but more importantly, needed to survive another 38 overs to force a draw.
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/ 17 January 2005
The Inkatha Freedom Party on Monday reacted to cleric Allan Boesak’s presidential pardon by focusing on the 394 names it has also submitted for pardon. It was announced over the weekend that Boesak had been granted a presidential pardon, which expunged his criminal record of fraud and theft.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-National&ao=178042">Boesak’s pardon raises hackles</a>
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/ 17 January 2005
Legal teams on both sides of the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial are back at work, although the case only resumes in court on January 31. A confident Shaik said compared to the tsunami, conflict in Iraq and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, ”mine is not a problem, just a slight irritation … like a mosquito around your ankle”.
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/ 17 January 2005
If Zimbabwe’s elections are to be declared free and fair, the opposition Movement for Democratic should be allowed to hold public meetings, African National Congress secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe said on Monday. He was addressing the media after the ANC’s national executive committee meeting at the weekend.
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/ 17 January 2005
The government of Canada has cancelled $21-million in debt owed to Canada by Madagascar under the Canadian Debt Initiative. Canada has also announced $42-million in increased funding to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, according to Paul Boothe, the G8 personal representative for Canada.
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/ 17 January 2005
Health and beauty retailer New Clicks has increased its turnover from continuing operations by 25% in the four months from September 1 to December 31 2004, versus the previous year, aided by the inclusion of pharmacy operations compared with the year-earlier period. Group sales totalled R2,97-billion for the four months.
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/ 17 January 2005
Ajax Amsterdam were given a fright by Moroka Swallows who held the Dutch champions to an exciting 2-2 draw in their Total Cup match played at Milpark’s Bidvest stadium on Sunday. Ajax Amsterdam defeated their little brothers, Ajax Cape Town, 3-0 at Newlands last Wednesday to lift the Cup.
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/ 17 January 2005
Good batting on Monday morning could still see England win the fourth Castle Lager/MTN cricket Test match against South Africa. That is the views of England’s opening bat Marcus Trescothick, who scored an undefeated 101 when bad light stopped play at the Wanderers on Sunday afternoon.
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/ 16 January 2005
England came out all guns blazing after lunch on the fourth day of the fourth Castle Lager/MTN Test against South Africa at the Wanderers on Sunday. At tea, England had 131 for two, giving them an overall lead of 123. Resuming after lunch on seven for one, Marcus Trescothick and Robert Key raced to 50 at just about a run a ball.
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/ 16 January 2005
Kaizer Chiefs whipped Bloemfontein Celtic 4-1 in their entertaining Premier Soccer League match at FNB Stadium on Saturday night. It was Celtic’s inaugural match under their new sponsors, Vodacom, who have just signed an R8-million, three-year deal with the Free State-based side. AmaKhosi led 3-0 at half-time
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/ 16 January 2005
South African cricket captain Graeme Smith was taken to hospital for X-rays after being hit on the head during fielding practice before the start of play on the fourth day of the fourth Castle Lager/MTN Test against England on Sunday. On Saturday, a sparkling century by Herschelle Gibbs led South Africa’s fight back on the third day of the Test.
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/ 16 January 2005
Black Leopards drew 2-2 against Moroka Swallows in a Castle Premiership match marred by controversy at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday. Leopards led 2-0 at half-time. The match had to be stopped for 10 minutes in the second half when Leopards supporters started throwing missiles on to the pitch.
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/ 16 January 2005
Dynamos collected full points away from home thanks to the only goal of the match by Ntokozo ”Koloba” S’khakhane, beating Lamontville Golden Arrows in a dull Castle Premiership match played at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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/ 16 January 2005
Mamelodi Sundowns gave Ajax Cape Town a hiding to remember when they beat them 4-0 at the Odi Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday night. The home team controlled the game from the start and failed to capitalise on many of their goal-scoring opportunities. They took the lead in the 37th minute.
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/ 16 January 2005
Temporary shelter and relieve was being arranged on Saturday night for about 8 000 people left homeless after a fire razed about 1 500 shelters in the Joe Slovo informal settlement and parts of Langa. An unnamed infant perished in Saturday’s fire and several people were injured in the conflagration.
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/ 15 January 2005
Allan Boesak, the former anti-apartheid activist, is overjoyed at the news that he has been granted a presidential pardon, it was reported on Saturday. President Thabo Mbeki announced on Saturday that he is expunging Boesak’s criminal record. The Democratic Alliance has questioned the pardon, saying Boesak stole money that belonged to the poor.
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/ 15 January 2005
Hundreds of people, including President Thabo Mbeki, converged on Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Saturday to support former president Nelson Mandela at the funeral of his son, Makgatho, who died of Aids. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Aids activist Zackie Achmat and businessman Patrice Motsepe were among those who went to bid farewell to Makgatho.
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/ 15 January 2005
An unidentified infant died on Saturday as runaway fires swept through several informal settlement zones in Langa outside Cape Town. Emergency services spokesperson Johann Minnie said 8 000 people were affected when flames ravaged zones 30, 24, 25, 26, 27, 18 and 32. Seven people, including two children, were seriously injured.
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/ 15 January 2005
It wasn’t a big knife. Serrated with a pointy top and black plastic handle, I kept one just like it in my kitchen drawer for slicing oranges. The difference was that this one belonged to a stranger who was holding it to my chest, and although he possibly adored oranges, he was keener on my bag. ”Give it,” he said.
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/ 15 January 2005
KwaZulu-Natal swimming star Terence Parkin kept going on his world-record-breaking streak, while Gauteng marathon man Isaac Mahlake put his best foot forward to take bronze as Team South Africa kept pulling in the medals at the Deaflympics in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday.
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/ 15 January 2005
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Friday came out in support for prison warders in their dispute with the Department of Correctional Services. Cosatu said a meeting of its public-sector affiliates on Thursday agreed on a programme of action to rally support for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union.
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/ 15 January 2005
Emergency personnel rescued 16 people stranded on a roller coaster that malfunctioned on Friday afternoon at the Ratanga Junction entertainment complex outside Cape Town. Internal investigations are under way after the fun-park ride turned sour — a mechanical failure resulting in the 16 being stuck at the highest point of the ride.
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/ 15 January 2005
Aids activists will join President Thabo Mbeki and anticipated thousands of other mourners at the funeral of former president Nelson Mandela’s son, Makgatho Mandela, on Saturday. Makgatho died of Aids-related complications last week, and Mandela used the announcement of his death to plead for openness on the disease.
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/ 15 January 2005
Glass-packaging manufacturer Consol, which is being unbundled from industrial giant AVI, will be making its reappearance on the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) on February 28 after an absence of seven years, it emerged on Friday. With a total turnover of about R2,1-billion rand, Consol is South Africa’s largest glassmaker.
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/ 14 January 2005
As the new school year gets under way next week, Western Cape health authorities warned on Friday of a measles epidemic in Cape Town if children are not immunised against the highly infectious disease. A measles outbreak was detected in Cape Town’s Fish Hoek and Sun Valley, with Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal already experiencing epidemics.
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/ 14 January 2005
The people of Africa are making it clear that they are no longer willing to be robbed of their right to peace, democracy and development, writes President Thabo Mbeki in his weekly letter. Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon wrote in his letter on Friday that the Middle East seems a more hopeful place than when he last visited in 2002.
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/ 14 January 2005
Mamelodi Sundowns hope to register their first win under new coach Angel Cappa against Ajax Cape Town at Loftus Stadium on Saturday night, despite being without two trusted players. ”We have a big pool of players who will do the job for us on Saturday. Ajax are in serious trouble,” warned marketing and communications manager Alax Shakoane.
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/ 14 January 2005
The director and two curators of the South African National Museum of Military History were arrested on Thursday night for stockpiling working weapons and military vehicles, the museum said. ”Police … have accused us of stockpiling weapons as if we were preparing for a war,” said acting museum director Sandy Mckenzie.
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/ 14 January 2005
Any staff found to have been involved in cheating in last year’s Mpumalanga matric examinations will be punished appropriately, Minister of Education Naledi Pandor said on Friday. ”Minister Pandor is committed to ensuring that where criminal conduct and fraud is committed, the full might of the law is applied,” her ministry said.