President Thabo Mbeki on Friday declined to disclose his views on the legitimacy of Kenya’s presidential elections, saying it was too early to make any pronouncements. ”Its better to see what the outcome of this process is first. We should not take any steps that will make the resolution of the problem difficult,” he said.
Former Super 14-winning coach Heyneke Meyer is the favourite to succeed World Cup-winning boss Jake White as the new South Africa rugby coach next week. White stepped down as the Springbok coach at the end of last year after his four-year contract with the South African Rugby Union had run its course.
South Africa were in charge on Friday at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against the West Indies at Newlands in Cape Town. The visitors were in trouble on 96-4, for a slender lead of 18. The two teams played a game of cat and mouse for most of the afternoon, as each tried to gain the upper hand, but the South Africans took control as they claimed four vital wickets.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Brigitte Mabandla had studied the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision on whether police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi ”had a case to answer”, her spokesperson said on Friday. Zolile Nqayi said the minister had studied the report last year.
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South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) leader, Jacob Zuma, has denied allegations of corruption and vowed to fight charges laid against him in court, local media reported on Friday. ”I am innocent. I have not committed any crime,” Zuma was quoted as saying in Beeld.
The recent spate of light-aircraft accidents was largely a result of human error and negligence, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Friday. ”It’s not the machine that is a problem — it’s the human; the pilot, the maintenance engineer …” said the CAA’s executive manager of air-safety investigations, Gilbert Thwala.
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Jacob Zuma’s homestead at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal is said to be bracing for another festivity, with the new African National Congress (ANC) president reportedly planning to marry Nompumelelo Ntuli — the mother of two of his children — on Saturday, the Mercury newspaper reported on Friday.
South African stocks extended gains at midday on Friday, bolstered by strong gains among miners amid rampant commodity prices, while a healthy start in European markets added to the upbeat sentiment. But volumes remained thin as some players remained on the sidelines ahead of the United States December non-farms payrolls data due out later in the day.
The African National Congress (ANC) was saddened by the ”untimely death” of Mlungisi Sisulu, the son of Max and Elinor Sisulu, it said on Friday. ”The ANC extends its heartfelt condolences to the Sisulu family, his colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs and friends,” ANC head of the Presidency Smuts Ngonyama said in a statement.
If nothing else, the country’s matric results are a loud and painful reminder that the education system is in need of a major overhaul.
Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher ground out an unbeaten 87-run partnership to enable South Africa to seize a slight advantage as the second day of the second Test against the West Indies developed into a war of attrition at Newlands on Thursday.
Mlungisi Sisulu, son of Max and Elinor Sisulu, died in London early on Thursday morning, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Departmental spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said Mlungisi, who was in his late 30s, died from a ”suspected illness” at 3am on Thursday.
There has been no improvement in overall service quality in the City of Johannesburg, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday. No significant improvement had been seen in respect of billing, housing, the metro police, the council call centre and the metro buses, said the DA’s Mike Moriarty when presenting the party’s annual report card.
Well-known KwaZulu-Natal birder Robin Guy (75) was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on Wednesday night. He and his wife, from Underberg, had been in Johannesburg on a festive-season visit when two robbers disturbed a dinner on the verandah of his brother-in-law’s home, Guy’s journalist son, Duncan, said on Thursday.
The Cape High Court on Thursday postponed Najwa Pietersen’s second bail appeal to January 28, to be heard by a full bench instead of a single judge as initially planned. Pietersen is to go on trial in the Cape High Court for the alleged murder of her famous husband, Taliep.
A South African man was killed and eaten by lions at a game farm in the country’s North West province, police said on Thursday. Samuel Boosen, a 36-year-old caretaker at the Aloe Ridge Lodge at Swartruggens, about 150km west of Johannesburg, went into the lion enclosure to feed the animals before being attacked on Tuesday.
South African stocks remained weak at noon on Thursday in line with overseas markets, but a rally among miners helped soften the blows as gold continues to lead the commodities stampede. By noon on the JSE, the all-share index was 0,82%, or 239,2 points, weaker at 29 050,940, after dipping more than 350 points just after the opening.
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The corruption trial of Jacob Zuma, leader of the African National Congress, was unlikely to take place any earlier than the already scheduled August starting date, his lawyer, Michael Hulley, said on Thursday. The National Prosecuting Authority said this week it was prepared to proceed with the case early if Zuma wished.
It is Saturday in Soweto and the Aids-ridden township is geared up for its foremost weekend activity: funerals. Traffic officials are dispatched en masse to the major streets where the sheer number of funeral processions would render chaos if one had to rely on traffic lights alone. ”Nowadays young people are dying like flies,” reflects 27-year-old Modise Selebogo.
The people of Cape Town should bury their differences and build bridges between communities in 2008, Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool said on Wednesday. Addressing thousands who gathered to celebrate the minstrel carnival, Rasool said 2008 should be the year in which the Cape took greater strides in realising the vision of a ”home for all”.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a typically patient half-century to anchor a shaky West Indian innings on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday. The West Indies, leading the three-match series 1-0, were 240-8 at the close, with Chanderpaul unbeaten on 64. Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels (51) put on 106 for the fourth wicket.
The four people killed in a light aircraft crash in the Swartberg Mountains on Tuesday have been identified by relatives, Western Cape police said on Wednesday. The plane that was en route to Pretoria from Mossel bay was piloted by 51-year-old Phillip Ginsberg from Pretoria.
Two plane crashes were averted on New Year’s Day as pilots made emergency landings at Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria authorities said on Wednesday. In the first incident, at about 11am, the pilot of a light aircraft had to crash land when one of the plane’s wheels could not unfold.
The Tanzanian high commissioner to South Africa — who was beaten unconscious last week by robbers — remained sedated and breathing with the help of a ventilator in the Pretoria East Hospital’s intensive-care unit (ICU), doctors said on Wednesday.
More than 100 backyard dwellers from Delft and other areas of Cape Town will return to the Cape High Court on Thursday to contest their eviction from a government housing scheme. They occupied the N2 Gateway houses before Christmas and were granted a stay of eviction by the court.
Power capacity will be strained in 2008 but gas-turbine stations and the reopening of old stations will help to deal with the load, Eskom said on Wednesday. Sipho Neke from the Eskom media desk said the maintenance of Eskom’s generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure would continue until the end of summer.
The South African government has joined the international community in expressing concern at the high level of violence, death and destruction of property that has occurred since the outcome of the election in Kenya was announced, Ronnie Mamoepa of the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
Graham Briggs has been appointed CEO of Harmony Gold Mining with effect from January 1 2008, the company said on Wednesday. Harmony — the world’s fifth biggest gold producer — appointed a selection panel at the end of October 2007, made up of four non-executive board members, to oversee the selection process for the position of CEO.
The public were on Wednesday still being kept in the dark over the fate of South Africa’s police National Commissioner, Jackie Selebi. The National Prosecuting Authority said it had made a decision on whether or not Selebi ”had a case to answer”. However, the decision would not be made public until it was studied by the minister of justice and constitutional development.
South African stocks were sharply higher at noon on the first trading day of 2008, but volumes remained low as most traders are still on their festive-season break. By noon on the JSE, the all-share index was 1,05% higher. Resources added 1,24%, the platinum-mining index was up 1,88% but the gold-mining index was flat.
Grade 12 pupils from at least four schools in Mpumalanga are caught up in confusion as to whether or not they have passed their matric exams, the Sowetan reported on Wednesday. Instead of joining the throng of those who passed, Thokozani Hlatshwayo and several of his classmates were left ”confused and traumatised”.
The West Indies have put their celebrations behind them and are focusing on cricket. That was the message from West Indies captain Chris Gayle on Tuesday on the eve of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Wednesday. The West Indies go into the Test with a 1-0 lead after beating South Africa by 128 runs in the first Test.