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/ 15 January 2008

DA: Mbeki needs to give explanation over Pikoli saga

President Thabo Mbeki should explain to Parliament why he is reluctant to reinstate suspended National Prosecution Authority head Vusi Pikoli, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday. ”President Mbeki needs to clarify his position on the DA’s call for him to brief Parliament on his refusal to review his decision to suspend advocate Vusi Pikoli,” the DA said.

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/ 15 January 2008

ANC takes issue with deputy chief justice

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) on Tuesday called on Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke to apologise for remarks he made about the party at his birthday celebrations. This comes shortly after an ANC statement saying that Moseneke’s comments showed disdain for delegates at the ANC national conference in December.

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/ 15 January 2008

Zim breakthrough close, Mbeki tells Irish PM

Zimbabwean parties engaged in negotiations are within days of finalising a political document that would cover all the important issues needed to ensure a free and fair election. This emerged from a meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday between President Thabo Mbeki, who is facilitating the talks, and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.

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/ 15 January 2008

JSE slightly down

Lower gold-mining stocks as a result of profit-taking weighed on the JSE on Tuesday, leaving the bourse 0,31% in the red by midday. At noon, the gold-mining index had pulled back 2,51%, but the platinum-mining index was 0,49% firmer, while resources added 0,54%. Industrials gave up 1,16%, banks lost 0,88% and financials were off 0,76%.

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/ 15 January 2008

NPA: No change in status of Selebi case

There was no change in the status of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) position on its investigation into police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, the NPA said on Tuesday. ”There is no change,” said NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali. Selebi is on leave and has resigned his post as head of Interpol.

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/ 15 January 2008

Private healthcare tariffs under spotlight

The threat of prosecution at a high-powered meeting with Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang forced private hospital groups to commit to reconsidering their annual tariff increases last Friday, Business Report said on Tuesday. The Health Department warned hospital groups to comply with the law when charging for anaesthetic gases, or face prosecution.

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/ 15 January 2008

Bafana bank on Zuma for goals

When world football supremo Sepp Blatter implored the South African national team to ”wake up” after poor results last year, he could not have been referring to Sibusiso Zuma. Only last weekend Zuma demonstrated again that he is razor sharp when it comes to putting the ball in the net.

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/ 15 January 2008

Lekota nabbed for speeding

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has reportedly been arrested for speeding. The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that Lekota was charged, at the Mondeor police station just before midnight on Sunday, with reckless and negligent driving.

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/ 15 January 2008

Lehman Brothers: Zuma’s plans sound expensive

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=zuma_report"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/243078/zuma.jpg" align=left border=0></a>Global analysts Lehman Brothers said in a research note on Tuesday that African National Congress president Jacob Zuma’s high-growth policy plans sounded "rather expensive", with funding probably coming from the budget surplus.

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/ 14 January 2008

Threatened flamingos breed on man-made island

Lesser flamingos have started breeding on a specially constructed artificial island at the Kamfers Dam, the Northern Cape department of tourism, environment and conservation said on Monday. The birds at Kamfers Dam are of historic significance because it is only the sixth breeding locality in the world for the near-threatened species.

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/ 14 January 2008

Visiting Irish leader concerned about Zim

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern expressed ”great concern” over the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe at the outset of a visit to South Africa on Monday.
”I would like to thank President [Thabo] Mbeki for his work as the SADC [Southern African Development Community] mediator in Zimbabwe,” Ahern said.

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/ 14 January 2008

Cosatu slams bread-price increase

Tiger Brands began charging 40 cents more for a loaf of Albany bread on Monday, with Pioneer Foods and Premier Foods in the process of considering their increases. In response, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) suggested the increases were linked to last year’s bread price-fixing scandal.

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/ 14 January 2008

Police move to reassure South Africa

South Africa’s embattled police force on Monday sought to reassure the crime-ridden country after a weekend that saw its police chief placed on extended leave in a widening corruption scandal. The South African Police Service was under intense public scrutiny before it was disclosed last week that Jackie Selebi would face charges of corruption and defeating the course of justice.

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/ 14 January 2008

More power cuts this week, says Eskom

Power cuts resumed on Monday and would continue nationally for the rest of the week, Eskom said. Eskom’s media desk said some areas might experience power cuts up to twice a day, for up to two-and-a-half hours at a time. Eskom needed to reduce demand for electricity in order to stabilise the electricity system nationally, the power utility’s statement said.

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/ 14 January 2008

SA receives housing boost from Ireland

The Irish government has approved a €5-million grant (about R50-million) for building township houses in South Africa. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern announced details of the grant in Cape Town on Monday during an official visit aimed at, among other things, monitoring projects funded by Irish Aid, a government development agency.

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/ 14 January 2008

Charges against Gerrie Nel withdrawn

Charges against Gerrie Nel, the head of the Directorate of Special Operations, or the Scorpions, in Gauteng, were withdrawn in the Pretoria Regional Court on Monday. ”After careful consideration of the evidence in the docket, the decision was made to withdraw the charges,” chief prosecutor Matric Lupondo said during Nel’s brief appearance.

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/ 14 January 2008

Sterne wins Jo’burg Open after thrilling play-off

South African Richard Sterne won the Jo’burg Open on Sunday at the Royal Johannesburg and Kengsington Golf Club after a dramatic three-way sudden death play-off against countryman Garth Mulroy and Swede Magnus Carlsson. The threesome who were tied at minus-13 after regulation play could still not be separated after they all birdied the par-five 18th.