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/ 3 December 2007

Negligence costs Health Dept millions

Negligence or malpractice at public hospitals has cost the Health Department millions of rands in damages awards over the past few years, Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has said. However, such cases are rare exceptions to the usually excellent care provided, she said in a written reply to a parliamentary question by Gareth Morgan of the Democratic Alliance.

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/ 3 December 2007

New Bok coach only to be named next year

The appointment of Jake White’s successor as Springbok coach has been postponed until the president’s council meeting, which is being held on January 9. Johan Prinsloo, CEO of the South African Rugby Union, on Monday confirmed that the four candidates’ final interviews with the appointment committee will be held on January 7 and 8.

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/ 3 December 2007

China closes in on SA as world’s top gold producer

Emerging global superpower China may snatch South Africa’s crown as the world’s top gold producer this year. South Africa has thus far managed to hold on to the crown, but China, which has established itself as the world’s second-largest gold producer after seven years of continued growth, now looks set to overtake South Africa in the production stakes.

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/ 3 December 2007

Kunene to be charged with murder, court hears

Muziwendoda Kunene, the man caught up in the hoax-email saga, will be charged with murder, the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday. Prosecutor Simon Maluleka told the court that Kunene would be charged with the October murder of Ballito real-estate agent Lynne Hume. His eldest son is a witness in that case, Maluleka told the court.

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/ 3 December 2007

SA beaches to benefit from clean-up campaign

Nineteen beaches around the country are set to benefit from a massive clean-up of South Africa’s coastline during the festive season, Vodacom announced on Monday. Beaches in the Eastern and Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will benefit from the third annual Vodacom Beach Clean-Up Campaign, which will run over 23 days, starting on December 15.

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/ 3 December 2007

Soweto residents challenge water policy

The legal challenge over the access to water between the residents of Phiri in Soweto, against the City of Johannesburg commenced in the Johannesburg High Court on Monday. Counsel for the Phiri residents, Wim Trengove, told the court that residents received the minimum of 50 litres as per government stipulations, however, a third get less than half of this.

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/ 3 December 2007

Swallows continue PSL nosedive

The nosedive of Moroka Swallows continued in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Sunday afternoon as the ailing Birds plunged to a 3-1 home defeat against Jomo Cosmos at the Germiston Stadium. A flurry of three goals in the last five minutes comprehensively sealed Swallows’ fate.

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/ 3 December 2007

Zimbabweans to pay more for passports

Passport fees in Zimbabwe have been increased, Zimbabwe’s government mouthpiece Herald newspaper reported on Monday. The fees were last reviewed in May this year. According to a notice at the registrar-general’s office in Harare, an ordinary passport for an adult now costs Z-million, up from Z 000, the report said.

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/ 2 December 2007

CAA: Nationwide unlikely to fly to London

It was unlikely that grounded airline Nationwide would be given permission for take-off to London on Sunday night, said the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Inspectors had spent most of the day examining the Boeing 767 the airline intended using on the flight, said CAA aircraft safety executive manager Obert Chakarisa.

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/ 2 December 2007

Pirates beat Royals 3-1

In coach Owen da Gama’s first game in charge for Orlando Pirates, they lost to Thanda Royal Zulu in a cup game. Da Gama’s charges showed their improvement since his arrival by beating the Royals 3-1 in a Premier Soccer League game at Johannesburg Stadium on Sunday.

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/ 2 December 2007

Wits, Arrows play to 1-1 draw

Wits University played to a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows in a Premier Soccer League match played at Bidvest Stadium on Sunday afternoon. There was no score at half-time. Wits failed to maintain their winning momentum after thrashing Bloemfontein Celtic 2-0 last week at the same venue.

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/ 2 December 2007

Majestic Gibbs seals series for SA

Herschelle Gibbs hit a majestic century as South Africa cruised to a series-clinching five-wicket win in the third and final one-day international against New Zealand at Newlands on Sunday. Gibbs made 119 off 101 balls as South Africa chased down New Zealand’s 238-8 with 28 balls to spare.

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/ 2 December 2007

Immelman edges Rose for Sun City win

South Africa’s Trevor Immelman won the 27th edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday, in spite of bogeying the final three holes at the Gary Player Country Club. He outplayed England’s Justin Rose, who blew up with a double-bogey six at the last, in what turned into a nervy two-horse race between the two players in the final round.

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/ 2 December 2007

ANCYL warns of tensions under ‘two presidents’

Having two presidents — of the country and the African National Congress (ANC) — could cause tensions and instigate reactions unless properly managed, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) said on Sunday. The ANCYL backs ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma for election to the top job during the party’s national conference in Limpopo in two weeks.

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/ 2 December 2007

Toddlers safe after night in hijacked car

Two Pietermaritzburg toddlers were found safe on Sunday morning after spending the night in a hijacked bakkie, said KwaZulu-Natal police. Superintendent Henry Budhram said an Ashdown resident, who had heard radio broadcasts of the hijacking, went to investigate when he saw the Nissan double cab parked in Bhekezulu Road at 7am.

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/ 2 December 2007

Nationwide leases plane for London flight

Grounded carrier Nationwide has leased an aircraft from Dutch airline KLM to fly passengers to London on Sunday night, said the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). However, Nationwide would have to prove that this aircraft complied with civil aviation safety requirements before it would be allowed to fly, said a CAA spokesperson.

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/ 2 December 2007

Early poll a possibility, says Mbeki

<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>President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday that he would not rule out calling early general elections if he failed to win the leadership of the governing African National Congress (ANC) party. "I have not thought about that one [early poll]. We haven’t got there yet. I don’t know. It’s possible, it’s possible, yes indeed," he said in an interview.

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/ 2 December 2007

Kiwis clinch Dubai Sevens title

South Africa were eliminated in the semifinal of the IRB Sevens World Series in Dubai on Saturday against New Zealand, who then went on to beat Fiji 31-21 in the final. New Zealand, who had earlier tackled South Africa out of contention to win their semifinal clash 12-7, ran in three converted tries in the first half of the final.

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/ 2 December 2007

Thousands rock against Aids in Jo’burg

Tens of thousands of people filed into Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday for a 10-hour music extravaganza beamed to millions around the globe for World Aids Day. The concert at the 50 000-seater stadium got under way in the afternoon and lasted late into the night, with 30 local and international artists performing, ranging from Ludacris to Peter Gabriel.

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/ 2 December 2007

SA miners set to strike over safety

South Africa’s powerful mining union will stage its first nationwide strike of the post-apartheid era on Tuesday in a signal that patience over the industry’s safety record has reached breaking point. About 250 000 miners are to down tools in a protest union chiefs say could be intensified if employers do not make significant inroads into the levels of fatalities.

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/ 2 December 2007

Khune stars as Chiefs best Sundowns

After a painstaking 120 minutes of meticulous football, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune emerged the hero as he made three saves in the Telkom Knockout Cup final to give his team another famous cup victory over Mamelodi Sundowns at a packed Loftus Stadium on Saturday night.

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/ 2 December 2007

Mandela: We must break the cycle of new HIV infections

Slowing new HIV infections is the key to combating the Aids pandemic, Nelson Mandela told the tens of thousands gathered for his 46664 benefit concert to mark World Aids Day on Saturday. The Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg erupted in screams before falling silent as Mandela urged people to stand up and take the fight against Aids into their own hands.