The Telkom South African National Aquatic Championships came to a thrilling climax at the Kings Park Aquatic Centre in Durban on Sunday evening with an unprecedented 20 swimmers posting Olympic ”A” qualifying times. It was a fitting ending to a sensational Olympic trial for the country’s swimmers.
Current South African road cycling champion Malcolm Lange continued to fine-tune his form in preparation of the defence of his Elite national title in East London next month when he won the Maluti Challenge in Bethlehem at the weekend. The seasoned MTN Energade professional outsprinted a strong field.
The interest-rate decision due on Thursday is not as straightforward as some hawks would proclaim, says Johan Rossouw, chief economist at Vunani. "In fact, understanding the monetary policy committee’s [MPC] interpretation of its mandate is of critical importance," he says.
Kgalema Motlanthe, deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC), on Sunday criticised the ”state of disorder” that characterised the ANC Youth League’s (ANCYL) national conference in Bloemfontein. Outgoing ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula said that ”forces” had tried to disrupt the congress but that they had failed.
A Lenasia man was arrested after he allegedly shot dead his wife, sister-in-law and brother-in-law on Sunday afternoon, Johannesburg police said. ”The middle-aged man, who was intoxicated at the time of the shooting, had been recently separated from his wife,” said Constable Edwin Ntsheo.
Schools ranked "the poorest of the poor" will be bolstered by an increase in support staff to free teachers from administrative duties so that they can spend more time on teaching and delivering quality Âeducation. The government has allocated just less than R1-billion that will provide for an extra 14 000 support staff posts.
A bumper maize crop this year could see food prices fall, offering welcome relief to consumers facing rising interest rates and fuel costs. With this large crop South Africans can expect to see the maize price move closer to export parity prices, which should offer consumers some relief.
State secrecy is an important issue in a democracy, especially given our past, but is the draft Protection of Information Bill the answer? Its stated aim is to ”promote the free flow of information within an open and democratic society without compromising the security of the Republic”.
Kaizer Chiefs moved into the top half of the Absa Premiership table after walloping Moroka Swallows 3-1 in a league match at a packed Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Sunday. Mabhuti Khenyeza, Jonathan Quartey and Thuso Phala scored for Chiefs, while Swallows’ lone goal came from the boot of James Chamanga.
Absa Premiership leaders SuperSport United, seemingly on the wrong wavelength and looking nothing like potential champions, slumped to a 2-0 defeat against a more willing and able AmaZulu at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Sunday afternoon.
South African satellite technician Sipho Maseko, who is being held in a Zimbabwean prison, has been admitted to St Anne’s Hospital in Harare after his blood-sugar levels reached danger levels, his employer, Globecast, said on Sunday. Globecast spokesperson Melanie Gibb said Maseko, a diabetic, was looked at by a doctor from the South African embassy.
Two candidates were nominated for the vacant post of African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president at the organisation’s national congress in Bloemfontein on Sunday. A spokesperson also confirmed that some delegates had been ”barred” — by provincial structures — from the conference following incidents of disturbances and ill-behaviour.
Awaiting-trial prisoners at Johannesburg Prison embarked on a hunger strike on Sunday following the removal of radios from their cells, the South African Prisoners’ Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) said. Spokesperson Miles Bhudu said Sapohr was informed of this action on Saturday.
The Cheetahs claimed their first Super 14 win of the season and moved off the bottom of the table by defeating the Queensland Reds 29-14 on Saturday. The Bloemfontein-based franchise also snatched a bonus point when centre JW Jonker scored a breakaway stoppage-time try at a sparsely populated Absa Stadium.
Any remote chance Orlando Pirates might have had of ending as Absa Premiership champions this season seemingly went up in smoke on Saturday night in a goalless draw against Jomo Cosmos — with the Buccaneers’ former goalkeeper, Avril Phali, principally responsible.
Bloemfontein Celtic, earlier in the season regarded as contenders for the Absa Premiership title, are now contenders of another kind — for relegation. A 3-0 defeat against a sprightly Golden Arrows at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday afternoon has left Celtic precariously placed at 13th position in the log.
Struggle stalwart Ncumisa Kondlo was a warrior, revolutionary and patriot, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma said at her funeral in the Eastern Cape on Saturday. It was with ”deep sorrow and sadness” that she was laid to rest, Zuma told dignitaries, families and friends who gathered to mourn her at her village of Ndwayana.
Two 702 Eyewitness News journalists were expelled from Zimbabwe after they tried to enter the country at the Beit Bridge border post on Friday afternoon, the station said. Journalists Jean Jacques Cornish and Sheldon Morais were detained and questioned but were released after more than three-and-a-half hours.
Lions coach Eugene Eloff has had enough of his side’s near-wins in the Super 14, in which they have only one win and a draw from seven outings. ”I’m fed up with saying that this was another match we should have won,” Eloff said after Friday’s defeat to the Highlanders, who were bottom of the log before their 29-20 win over the Lions.
The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) on Friday called for Eskom’s proposed electricity tariff increase to be put on hold for further consultation. The process should be delayed to allow for urgent consultation on possible alternatives and the socio-economic impact of the increase, Nedlac said.
The South African government needs to ratify an international treaty on preventing torture, South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) chief executive Tseliso Thipanyane said on Friday. Thipanyane said he is concerned about the government’s ”terrible attitude” towards the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.
Inflationary pressures pose a greater challenge to Southern Africa than global financial-market turmoil, South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni said on Friday. It was important that regional economies continued to pursue price stability through appropriate monetary policies.
A 1time flight from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg was forced to turn back due to a smoke-filled cabin, the Herald Online reported on Friday. A passenger said the aircraft had just taken off at about 6pm on Thursday when smoke poured out of an air conditioner into the cabin.
Newly appointed Springbok coach Peter de Villiers finally signed his contract on Friday after weeks of refusing to sign over contractual disagreements. ”The agreement between De Villiers and SA Rugby was signed at our headquarters in Newlands earlier today [Friday],” said SA Rugby in a statement.
Convicted businessman Schabir Shaik is undergoing tests at a Durban hospital to determine the extent of organ damage, if any, caused by persistent problems with high blood pressure, his brother said on Friday. Mo Shaik said: ”He is undergoing tests in terms of organ damage. It’s a case of seeing what there is and what to do about it.”
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille on Friday accused the African National Congress (ANC) of shutting down the space for free and informed debate. Writing in her weekly newsletter, Zille said recent events suggested the image of openness that ANC president Jacob Zuma was cultivating was just a smokescreen for closing down the public space.
Warren Foster speaks to stand-up comedians about the Heavyweight Comedy Jam.
Hundreds of international guests and media converged on KwaZulu-Natal on Friday at the start of the Ladysmith Siege Weekend to commemorate historic events that took place during the Anglo-Boer War. Organised by the Emnambithi/Ladysmith municipality, the event is in its fourth year and is expected to attract a crowd of about 5 000.
A 38-year-old man is in a serious condition in a KwaZulu-Natal hospital after both his ears and genitals were ripped off by dogs in Empangeni, paramedics said on Friday. Yusuf Kruger, spokesperson for the privately-owned Mounties Ambulance Service, said the incident took place on Hancock Avenue at 4pm on Thursday.
The Presidency and Justice Ministry on Friday claimed to have no knowledge of Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy’s attempts to resign. They also claimed to know nothing about President Thabo Mbeki’s reported refusal to accept the resignation letter. ”There’s no such thing,” said Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga.
Workers at the 2010 Soccer World Cup Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit are still striking, while talks with management and the government continue, the National Union of Mineworkers said on Friday. About 500 workers downed tools on Wednesday morning demanding better pay.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) on Friday condemned alleged death threats made against South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists. ”Sanef condemns the attack on SABC 2 weather presenter Tshidi Diphoko and the death threats against SABC political reporters Miranda Strydom and Sophie Mokoena,” it said.