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/ 18 January 2008
Director General in the Presidency Frank Chikane met representatives of political parties in Pretoria on Friday to discuss the subject of presidential pardons. The discussions at the Union Buildings dealt with applications from perpetrators of alleged political crimes committed before June 16 1999.
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/ 18 January 2008
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota was on Friday sentenced to a R5Â 000 fine or 12 months’ imprisonment for reckless and negligent driving. Wearing a dark suit, glasses with gold frames and accompanied by his bodyguard, Lekota pleaded guilty to exceeding the national speed limit. Last Sunday Lekota was arrested for driving at 189km/h in a 120km/h zone.
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/ 18 January 2008
There is a ”rising tide” of corruption in the South African Police Service [SAPS], Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille alleged on Friday. ”Minister of Safety and Security [Charles Nqakula] and the leadership of the SAPS need to find the political will to acknowledge the grave threat that police corruption poses to our country,” she said in her weekly newsletter.
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/ 18 January 2008
Chief economist of Citigroup in South Africa Jean Mercier says foreigners see more political risk in South Africa now than they have over the past few years, and will be keenly monitoring any "new faces", especially in the key finance and Reserve Bank positions, as these people may be untested at high-level economic decision-making.
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/ 18 January 2008
Having taken it over last week from his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, newly elected leader of the African National Congress (ANC) Jacob Zuma is giving up his weekly pulpit in the ANC’s online newsletter, <i>ANC Today</i>. The weekly sermon was an opportunity, much prized by Mbeki, to deliver often literary admonishments to individuals or organisations.
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/ 18 January 2008
Chief economist of Citigroup in South Africa Jean Mercier says he expects a South African growth rate of 4% in 2008, but adds that it should start stabilising towards the second half of the year and then have a bit of a pick-up in 2009. He foresees growth of 4,5% in 2009, with it picking up towards the soccer World Cup in 2010.
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/ 18 January 2008
South African stocks fell over 3% on Friday on increasing fears that the United States economy could be hit by a recession. By 8.55am GMT the top-40 index had crept back from a session and stood 2,76% weaker at 23 936,98 points, off the day’s worst level of 23 816,5.
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/ 18 January 2008
Shaun de Waal samples the works of three South African poets as they get out of town.
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/ 18 January 2008
Despite their cheesy name, the South Jersey Pom-Poms are quirky, eclectic and cool, writes Niren Tolsi.
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/ 18 January 2008
South Africa is still behind when it comes to sampling music for free, writes Lloyd Gedye.
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/ 17 January 2008
Two South Africans made history on Thursday when they became the first team to walk unsupported and unassisted to the South Pole. ”They did make it. It’s just divine,” Nadia Harris, wife of one of the pioneers, said after 6pm. The expedition of Alex Harris and Sibusiso Vilane started in November last year.
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/ 17 January 2008
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) said on Thursday that it was outraged by the arrest of an Oudtshoorn journalist. The arrest took place on Tuesday. ”We are outraged at the arrest of the Kaapse Son‘s journalist, Hein Coetzee …,” said Sanef chairperson Raymond Louw.
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/ 17 January 2008
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, who is facing corruption charges, will appear in court on February 1, prosecutors said on Thursday. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Tlali Tlali said Selebi would appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. He gave no further details.
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/ 17 January 2008
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African National Congress president Jacob Zuma is claiming R5-million from Rapport for defamation and crimen injuria, his spokesperson Liesl Gottert said on Thursday — a day after he reached a R50Â 000 out-of-court settlement with the same paper for a previous defamation and crimen injuria claim.
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/ 17 January 2008
The African National Congress (ANC) on Thursday made an about turn on its earlier concerns over comments made by Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, issuing a statement confirming its confidence in the integrity of the courts. ”Having listened to Justice Moseneke’s account … the ANC accepts that no ill was intended,” an ANC statement said.
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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.