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/ 17 January 2008
Outrage over the country’s ongoing power cuts spread among business, agricultural and political sectors on Thursday as Eskom announced that the risk for continued cuts over the weekend remained high. ”Load shedding will continue today [Thursday] until after evening peak and the possibility of load shedding remains high,” said Eskom.
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/ 17 January 2008
A row is brewing over a report on the military investigation into an incident last year in which nine soldiers were killed at Lohatla in the Northern Cape when an artillery gun apparently went haywire. The report has been completed but not made public.
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/ 17 January 2008
A ”wish list” of proposals that could improve service delivery has been sent to the Gauteng premier, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday. Spokesperson and member of the provincial legislature Jack Bloom compiled the list. It has been sent to Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, and includes the actions Bloom believes would improve service delivery.
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/ 17 January 2008
The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Bill for which it was specially called back from holiday. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill was passed without debate, but with parties giving a three-minute explanation of their vote. The Bill passed by 266 votes to 52, with 12 abstentions.
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/ 17 January 2008
Anglo American, the world’s second-largest resources group, on Thursday strengthened its iron-ore portfolio by announcing a $5,5-billion (R37,9-billion) deal that will see it take control of key projects in Brazil. The group is holding exclusive negotiations with Mineração e Metálicos’s controlling shareholder, Eike Batista.
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/ 17 January 2008
Grieving relatives of the victims of the Skielik killings gathered outside their homes to comfort one another after leaving court where the alleged killer appeared briefly on Thursday. A man and two children were gunned downed outside their homes in the settlement, 10km outside Swartruggens in the North West, on Monday.
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/ 17 January 2008
"We have to start viewing $1 000 as a clear possibility for later this year," precious-metals consultancy GFMS said on Thursday. Releasing its <i>Gold Survey 2007: Update 2</i>, the consultancy projected an average gold price of $840 an ounce over the first half of 2008 with further increases possible later in the year.
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/ 17 January 2008
If the South African Reserve Bank needs further evidence of the dampening effect of higher rates on real economic activity, recent building data has been just that, according to independent economic analysts. A major challenge facing the government is also the extreme escalation in building costs.
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/ 17 January 2008
Shaun Pollock said he didn’t want his final round of international matches to be a ”Polly parade” but it is inevitable that South Africa’s star all-rounder will be feted as he makes his last appearances at the country’s major grounds during a five-match one-day international series against the West Indies, which starts at Centurion on Sunday.
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/ 17 January 2008
Emerging global superpower China has dethroned South Africa as the world’s largest gold producer after 102 years of holding the prestigious title, precious metals consultancy GFMS said on Thursday. GFMS executive chairperson Philip Klapwijk drew attention to this historic event at the launch of GFMS’s <i>Gold Survey 2007 — Update Two</i>.
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/ 17 January 2008
Secondary school attendance can lead to a lower risk of HIV infection amongst young people in rural South Africa, according to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health on Thursday. The study examined sexual behaviour and HIV prevalence among 916 young men and 1Â 003 young women aged 14 to 25.
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/ 17 January 2008
South Africa’s future growth could be severely compromised by the country’s lack of sufficient power capacity, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday. DA spokesperson Hendrik Schmidt said: ”South Africa’s lack of reserve power capacity has now reached catastrophic proportions and if left unchecked threatens to undermine future growth prospects.”
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/ 17 January 2008
British national Anthony Cooper was on Thursday found not guilty of causing the fire on Table Mountain that allegedly caused the death of British tourist Janet Chesworth. Cooper appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court, charged with culpable homicide, as well as contravening the National Forestry Act.
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/ 17 January 2008
South Africa goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez has been ruled out of the African Cup of Nations Group D clash against Angola in Ghana next Wednesday. The national football association said the Germany-based custodian injured several fingers in a warm-up match against Mozambique last Sunday and was a spectator when South Africa beat Botswana 2-1 on Wednesday.
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/ 17 January 2008
Resource heavyweights Anglo American and BHP Billiton forced the JSE to turn around from its positive start, dragging it lower by midday on Thursday. At noon, the broader all-share index shed 0,44% as resources lost 2,07%. The platinum- and gold-mining indices pulled back 1,14% and 0,27% respectively.
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/ 17 January 2008
Jackie Selebi’s legal team would like to have him brought to court earlier than the National Prosecuting Authority’s proposed date of January 30, one of his advocates Fanus Coetzee said on Thursday. ”It is because of the availability — we all have practices we are running,” said Coetzee.
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/ 17 January 2008
Power cuts are set to continue on Thursday, the Tshwane municipality said. ”Once again, load-shedding is due to Eskom generation constraints,” said municipal spokesperson Console Tleane. He said there was a slim chance that load-shedding would not be as ”intense” on Friday.
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/ 17 January 2008
South African President Thabo Mbeki travels to Zimbabwe on Thursday to meet officials of the ruling Zanu-PF and main opposition parties after reports that a deal to end a political crisis was imminent. Mbeki has been mediating talks between Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s government and the Movement for Democratic Change for nearly a year.
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/ 17 January 2008
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is expected to hike interest rates by a further 50 basis points at the end of January, Absa’s economic research unit said on Wednesday. This was in spite of retail trade sales data released earlier by Statistics South Africa showing that consumer spending continued to buckle.
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/ 16 January 2008
Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke will answer his critics in the African National Congress (ANC) in a statement to be issued on Thursday. The ANC’s national working committee has accused Moseneke of showing disdain for delegates to its national conference in December last year in remarks made at his recent 60th birthday party.
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/ 16 January 2008
The South African Air Force has grounded its fleet of Pilatus Astra PC-7 MkII aircraft following the death of a pilot in a plane crash on Tuesday. The fleet would remain grounded until further notice, South African National Defence Force headquarters said on Wednesday.
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/ 16 January 2008
British national Anthony Cooper on Wednesday told the Cape Town Regional Court of his frantic efforts to put out a veld fire on the slopes of Table Mountain — caused by a cigarette he allegedly flicked from his fingers as he stood smoking near his car. Cooper has been charged with culpable homicide.
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/ 16 January 2008
The South African competition watchdog the Competition Commission on Wednesday slammed bread price increases, saying the ”blatant profiteering is an insult to the nation”. Bread maker Tiger Brands on Monday implemented price increases on its Albany bread brand.
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/ 16 January 2008
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has proposed that police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi present himself to the Randburg Regional Court on January 30. ”We wrote to Selebi’s attorney proposing this,” NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said on Wednesday.
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/ 16 January 2008
A woman who was shot dead in front of her two children before being robbed of R70 in Pinetown on Wednesday morning had reportedly turned state witness in a Department of Transport fraud case. Futhi Ncwane’s estranged husband, Popo, said: ”Futhi was going to be a state witness in a fraud case involving the Department of Transport.”
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/ 16 January 2008
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Rapport newspaper said on Wednesday it was satisfied with an out-of-court settlement reached with African National Congress president Jacob Zuma over a defamation and injuria claim. ”I’m satisfied,” was all Rapport editor Tim du Plessis wanted to say on hearing the news of the settlement on Wednesday.
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/ 16 January 2008
South Africa wants countries who have promised troops for the peacekeeping operation in Sudan’s Darfur region to speed up their deployment. ”If we don’t get fast movement of the forces, their full deployment and the technical assistance, then the whole comprehensive agreement … could be endangered,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Wednesday.
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/ 16 January 2008
A court on Wednesday postponed the case of abuse against a former dormitory matron of United States talk-show host Oprah Winfrey’s girls academy. Virginia Mokgobo (27) appeared in the Sebokeng Magistrate’s Court to face charges of indecent and common assault, soliciting a minor to perform indecent acts and verbal abuse.
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/ 16 January 2008
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille has requested an urgent meeting with President Thabo Mbeki to discuss what she calls ”the growing perception of a constitutional and moral crisis” in South Africa. ”The implication of the police national commissioner and the ruling party’s presidential candidate in corruption cases is but one reason for this perception.”
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/ 16 January 2008
The Finance Ministry has invited all South Africans to send tips on how the country’s finances should be run to the annual "Tips for Trevor" campaign. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel plainly takes some notice of what the public tells him since he often refers to these tips during his budget speech in Parliament.
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/ 16 January 2008
Despite a significant dip in real retail sales in South Africa, analysts feel that risks remain for another rate hike on January 31. However, the central bank may also have to ponder that real retail sales could head into negative territory in the months ahead and lead consumers into a recession.
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/ 16 January 2008
The African National Congress’s (ANC) outgoing head of the Presidency and communications, Smuts Ngonyama, said on Wednesday he would continue doing work for the party, but in a lower profile. ”It’s more or less 10 years that I have been in this role and I accept that I have to move on with life and look at other challenges,” he said.