Legislation is in the pipeline to have pseudoephedrine — a key ingredient in the manufacturing of the drug tik, or methamphetamine — reclassified, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday. The restriction of these drugs would make it more difficult for backyard tik manufacturers to produce the drug.
South Africa’s judiciary does not need an uncritical media that is over respectful of the courts, Chief Justice Pius Langa said in Durban on Sunday. He said the judiciary should ”jealously protect” the media and its right to free expression, but at the same time the media’s right was ”not totally unfettered and unrestricted”.
South Africa’s Sevens team may have been beaten 26-12 by New Zealand in the final of the Hong Kong World Sevens on Sunday, but they showed they are closing the gap on the runaway leaders of the competition. New Zealand are now on 110 points after winning all five finals this season, while the Boks remain in second spot with 72 points.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) said on Sunday it regarded reported threats against senior political reporters as serious. Sunday newspapers reported that the SABC’s Miranda Strydom and Sophie Mokoena were ”lined up for slaughtering by unknown people”.
AmaZulu repeated their high-scoring Nedbank Cup form by beating Vasco da Gama 5-0 at the Chatsworth Stadium in Durban on Saturday night to qualify for the quarterfinals. The Cape team made too many elementary errors and barely created a single chance for themselves.
Four people died when a bakkie failed to stop at a railway crossing and was struck by a goods train near Lichtenburg, North West police said on Sunday. The bakkie had about 20 passengers, most of whom were children aged between six and 16, said Captain Aafje Botma.
The Sharks moved up to second in the Super 14 after a pair of second-half tries secured a 22-10 victory over the Queensland Reds on Saturday. The South Africans touched down in the 63rd and 67th minutes, breaking a determined Reds defence that was put under relentless pressure.
South Africa qualified for their first final in a Hong Kong leg of the IRB World Sevens series when they came from behind to beat defending champions Samoa 12-10 in the semifinal on Sunday. The Springboks will meet New Zealand in the final later on Sunday.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may have to play home World Cup qualifiers away from Kinshasa after being given an ultimatum to fix security infrastructure at the capital’s Martyrs stadium. The Congolese federation have been asked to name an alternate venue because Fifa are not satisfied that changes to improve the safety at the stadium had been implemented.
In February this year Santos beat Moroka Swallows 4-1 in an Absa Premiership league game, and on Friday night the Cape side transformed their fine league form in to an emphatic 3-1 Nedbank Cup tournament win against the same opponents at the Germiston Stadium on Friday night.
The Presidency and the African National Congress moved on Friday to dispel Democratic Alliance (DA) allegations over President Thabo Mbeki’s refusal to release the Khampepe commission’s report on the Scorpions. There was no intention to ”cover up” the report as alleged by DA leader Helen Zille, the Presidency said.
Planned power cuts will occur every other day except Sunday from next week, Eskom confirmed on Friday. ”Predictable and scheduled load shedding that will typically average two to two-and-a half hours of interruption will occur every second day, excluding Sundays,” said Eskom in a media statement.
President Thabo Mbeki and African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma have established a ”solid working relationship”, the ANC said on Friday. ”Contrary to some expectations, a solid working relationship has been established, with the president of the Republic interacting regularly with the officials,” ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said.
It is a matter of hours to go before voting stations open for Saturday’s elections in Zimbabwe. The Mail & Guardian Online spoke to South African political parties and NGOs ahead of the controversial poll. ”Mugabe will rule again. It would be a miracle if he didn’t,” said the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Musa Zondi.
Ferial Haffajee on why she agreed to model for Clover.
In the aftermath of his failure to become the president of the South African Rugby Union (Saru), Mike Stofile said the elections at the annual general meeting held on Friday proved there was no place for black people in South African rugby. Stofile, the former deputy president of Saru, was the only candidate opposing Oregan Hoskins for the top post.
Those persisting with efforts to move a motion of no confidence in Cricket South Africa president Norman Arendse do not have the interests of transformation at heart, the African National Congress’s (ANC) Butana Komphela said on Friday. The ANC’s parliamentary sport and recreation study group rejected the idea of a motion of no confidence, Komphela said.
Oregan Hoskins was re-elected on Friday to a further two-year term as president of the South African Rugby Union (Saru), narrowly beating his deputy, Mike Stofile, at Saru’s annual general meeting. Saru did not issue an official confirmation of the voting tally, but it is understood that the closeness of the vote saw auditors call for a recount.
South African rugby bosses have given new Springbok coach Peter de Villiers the final say on selection matters. The move required a change in the South African Rugby Union’s constitution, which specified that selections were decided by a majority of a three-man selection committee, including the national coach.
A Hillbrow police captain on Friday flatly denied that he had at any stage tortured or coached Andrew Jordaan to tell police where the body of seven-year-old Sheldean Human could be found. Captain Ignatius van Aardt testified in a trial within a trial in the Pretoria High Court to determine the admissibility of a confession and pointing-out by Jordaan.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) on Friday threatened to "take to the streets" in protest against South African power utility Eskom’s proposed electricity hikes. "We will announce in due course a rolling mass-action programme to stop this neo-liberal attack on the quality of life of South Africans," the SACP said in a statement.
Mining group BHP Billiton will phase out annual business with Standard Bank in the first corporate spat brought on by the power crisis. Business Day reported that the business may be worth R2,4-billion and the decision came after a bank executive suggested that one of the mining group’s aluminium smelters be shut down to save electricity.
First National Bank’s (FNB) ”million-a-month account” competition is an illegal lottery, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled on Friday. The SCA dismissed the bank’s appeal against a Pretoria High Court declaratory order, according to which the bank’s competition was a lottery prohibited by the Lotteries Act.
Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Friday lambasted United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa for ”exploiting” the concerns of Joe Slovo residents. The residents are facing eviction to make way for the flagship N2 Gateway housing project. ”It is unfortunate that far from offering sound advice, he sought to exploit the people’s concerns,” she said.
A recovery in the platinum price triggered improvements in the platinum-mining and resources indices, which helped reverse the JSE’s morning losses and lift it into the black by midday on Friday. By 12.03pm, the JSE’s broader all-share index was up 0,35%. The platinum-mining index collected 1,57% and resources gained 1%.
The retail price of petrol will increase by between 66 cents and 68 cents a litre (c/l) on Wednesday April 2, the Department of Minerals and Energy announced on Friday. This follows an increase of 61c/l last month, and 17c/l the month before. The retail price of a litre of 95 octane unleaded petrol in Gauteng increases to R8,91 and to R8,67 at the coast — new highs.
A programme to trace people who default on their tuberculosis (TB) treatment was officially launched in the Northern Cape on Friday by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. All provinces have established TB tracer teams of nurses and community health workers who visit homes to find defaulters and return them to their treatment regime.
Metro police chief Robert McBride has signed official documents but is not working, Ekurhuleni mayoral spokesperson Prince Hamnca said on Friday. ”Robert was never suspended but was put on special leave, that means that if we want to consult with him we can — because he is the chief of police,” Hamnca said.
Proteas batsman Herschelle Gibbs has been released on R500 bail after he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol in Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape police said on Friday. Superintendent Billy Jones said the 34-year-old cricketer was released at 8am on Friday after he was detained at 3.35am.
An Eskom appeal board has rejected an application for bulk electricity to a new mixed housing development on the West Rand, a media report said on Friday. It said the flagship public-private partnership near Kagiso in Mogale City was to provide 9 315 residential units.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday added his voice to calls for a judicial inquiry into the multibillion-rand arms deal. In the text of his speech for the Dullah Omar memorial lecture at the University of the Western Cape, he said South Africans could not pretend corruption was no longer a serious problem.
AfriForum on Thursday slammed a guilty verdict against the principal of the Hoërskool Ermelo, who has been at the centre of a language row. AfriForum’s deputy chief executive officer Alana Bailey said the Mpumalanga education department’s verdict against principal Koos Kruger was a disgrace.