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/ 18 December 2007

More than 560 die on SA’s roads

More than 560 people have died on South African roads since the beginning of December, the Department of Transport said on Tuesday. At least 119 people were killed in accidents in Gauteng, 86 in KwaZulu-Natal, 58 in the Western Cape, 70 in the Eastern Cape, 52 in the Free State, 74 in Mpumalanga, 51 in Limpopo and seven in the Northern Cape.

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/ 18 December 2007

Who is the ANC?

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/327874/livefrompolo.gif" align=left border=0></a>Membership of the African National Congress has grown to 620 000 members from 416 000 members in 2002. A national conference, the most powerful gathering of the party, is a perfect opportunity to assess who makes up the ANC. Who is the typical ANC member and what do they believe in?

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/ 18 December 2007

Zille extends Cape Town spy-saga deadline

Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille has extended by a month the deadline for the independent investigation into various allegations surrounding the city’s so-called spy saga. Zille has appointed Advocate Josie Jordaan of the Cape Bar to lead the investigation into allegations surrounding the George Fivaz and Associates investigation of Councillor Badih Chaaban.

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/ 18 December 2007

Mbeki team fights back

President Thabo Mbeki’s team fought back after a first day of humiliation at the ANC’s 52nd national conference at Polokwane, holding an unprecedented rally at lunchtime. Jacob Zuma’s people responded with an even bigger rally. The Mbeki rally was part of a package of measures to turn back the voting gains of deputy president Jacob Zuma, who is set to take the top job.

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/ 18 December 2007

Media barred from ANC sessions

Heavy early-morning rain on Monday did nothing to dampen the spirits of supporters of the frontrunners in the ANC leadership race, but journalists were left high and dry while trying to attend proceedings and even had equipment broken by security marshals later in the day.

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/ 18 December 2007

JSE dips further into the red

The JSE was lower at midday on Tuesday, playing catch-up after the public holiday on Monday when there was weakness in global equity markets. By 12.04pm, the JSE’s all-share index had pulled back 2,38%. The gold mining index fell 3,31%, resources lost 3,21% and the platinum mining index gave up 3,16%.

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/ 17 December 2007

Sexwale steps out of ANC race

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/327874/livefrompolo.gif" align=left border=0></a>African National Congress (ANC) heavyweight Tokyo Sexwale on Monday night declined his nomination to the position of national chairperson as the names of those in the running for the ruling party’s top six positions were announced. As predicted, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma go head to head in the contest for party president.

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/ 17 December 2007

Justice Minister mum on Selebi

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Brigitte Mabandla on Monday declined to be drawn on the National Prosecution Authority’s (NPA) probe into police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. ”No comment. I do not talk about those things,” she told a South African Press Association reporter.

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/ 17 December 2007

Zuma, Mbeki camps rally in Polokwane

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/327874/livefrompolo.gif" align=left border=0></a>President Thabo Mbeki’s team fought back after a first day of humiliation at the African National Congress’s (ANC) 52nd national conference at Polokwane, holding an unprecedented rally at lunchtime on Monday. Jacob Zuma’s people responded with an even bigger rally.

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/ 17 December 2007

ANC hopes to start voting on Monday

The African National Congress’s Polokwane conference may deal with nominations for the party’s presidency late on Monday, according to a senior party official. The nomination process is expected to result in a head-to-head clash for the top post between party president Thabo Mbeki and his deputy, Jacob Zuma.

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/ 17 December 2007

The writing’s on the T-shirt

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/327874/livefrompolo.gif" align=left border=0></a>Thousands of delegates to the ANC’s 52nd national conference converged on Polokwane International Airport on Saturday to register in a cavernous hangar for the event. The regi­stration hangar was a free-for-all for groups supporting either Thabo Mbeki or Jacob Zuma.

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/ 17 December 2007

‘This conference is different’

Delegates to the ANC’s national conference in Polokwane were on Sunday concerned about disruptions, but also hopeful that the party will emerge stronger and better. Motsotose Ndyalivani (49), a delegate from the Rogersfontein region of Grahamstown, said the conference was different from the six that he had attended in the past.

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/ 17 December 2007

Rebellion at Polokwane

It was open rebellion as the African National Congress began its 52nd national conference. Traditions of the movement, almost 100 years old, were thrown out as the majority of the more than 4 000 delegates made clear their support for the candidacy of deputy president Jacob Zuma to the top job.

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/ 17 December 2007

DA: Is NPA going to charge Selebi or not?

Uncertainty over the prosecution of police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi was not in anyone’s best interest, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said. The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Tlali Tlali said on Sunday that a decision had been made on whether Selebi ”has a case to answer”.

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/ 16 December 2007

ANC elections running late

The first day of the African National Congress’s (ANC) Polokwane conference ended abruptly just after 9.30pm on Sunday, without dealing with nominations for the party leadership. ANC national chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota told delegates to come back on Monday, explaining there were ”a few details” the national executive committee wanted to tie up.

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/ 16 December 2007

Motlanthe on the Mbeki-Zuma rift

African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe’s organisational report, delivered on Sunday at the party’s national conference in Polokwane — was the first comprehensive admission from a party leader that the factionalism in the party was a result of a power struggle between two personalities: Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.

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/ 16 December 2007

Mbeki supporters booed in Polokwane

Ministers and aides in President Thabo Mbeki’s government were heckled by delegates on Sunday when the African National Congress opened a conference that could see Mbeki losing control over the party. Some of the delegates booed Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Essop Pahad, a top aide to Mbeki, as they arrived.

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/ 16 December 2007

Missing Children website to shut down in December

South Africa’s Missing Children website is to close during December due to a lack of funding. ”December is the busiest time of the year for runaways. There are the normal cases of naughty children running away during the holidays, but given the pressure on matric students waiting for results, we find an influx of kids running away,” said Pieter Boshoff, the organisation’s founder and director.

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/ 16 December 2007

All aboard for Polokwane conference

<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=ancconference_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/321750/Icon_ANCconference.gif" align=left border=0></a>The first group of delegates to the African National Congress’s 52nd national conference arrived at the University of Limpopo on Sunday. Singing and clapping, the delegates from the North West Province said they would vote for party president Thabo Mbeki. "Mbeki is the most rational leader, we have ever had. We are just here to affirm the third term [for Mbeki]."

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/ 15 December 2007

Santos topple PSL leaders

After what Santos coach Jean-Marc Itthier described as ”a blood and thunder” derby, the ”people’s team” toppled Premier League leaders Ajax Cape Town 2-1 at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday night after overcoming a torrid second half.