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/ 26 November 2007

Women’s League to ‘speak for itself’

The African National Congress Women’s League is to finalise its nominations for the party’s leadership on Monday. Earlier, it was reported that the women’s league favoured Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. The league, however, refuted this saying it would ”speak for itself” once it had consolidated the provincial nominations.

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/ 26 November 2007

Illegal miners shoot Mpumalanga cops

Illegal miners wielding AK-47 assault rifles have wounded two police constables underground at Barberton’s Sheba gold mine, Mpumalanga police said on Monday. Superintendent Abie Khoabane said the constables were among a group of 12 national intervention-unit officers sent underground on Thursday to find illegal miners working a closed shaft.

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/ 26 November 2007

Gold keeps JSE firm, banks down

The JSE was forced to give up some of its earlier gains but the gold mining index was keeping it in the black at midday on Monday. Shortly after its open, the JSE was up over 1%, but by midday, the all-share index had given up almost half of its gains as bank and financial stocks weighed.

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/ 26 November 2007

R1-billion to be spent on smart cards

Banks are set to spend over R1-billion to introduce smart cards in order to curb fraud, Absa said on Monday. The bank said the cost of the cards were dependent on the type of card issued by the various banks. Smart cards, said Absa’s Walter Volker, would significantly reduce fraud losses through ”skimming”.

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/ 26 November 2007

SA passes test to get Cup running

South Africa passed the first big test of its ability to stage the continent’s first World Cup finals with a successful preliminary draw that gets the campaign to reach the 2010 finals off in earnest. South Africa will be thankful they do not have to qualify as hosts. The African part of the draw doubles as a qualifying competition for the 2010 African Nations Cup.

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/ 26 November 2007

SA floods kill two, cause millions in damage

Severe floods along South Africa’s southern coast killed two people and caused millions of rand in damage near one of the country’s top tourist attractions, officials said on Monday. Police said a 62-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy drowned as rivers burst their banks and roads were washed away in Eden District municipality.

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/ 25 November 2007

SA win as New Zealand drop catches

South Africa celebrated Graeme Smith’s 100th one-day international as captain by squeaking home by two wickets in the first MTN one-day international at Kingsmead on Sunday, with Andre Nel snatching the winning run off the last ball of the match. Man-of-the-match AB de Villiers made 91 for South Africa.

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/ 25 November 2007

Ajax maintain top spot

Ajax Cape Town registered a 1-0 win against Amazulu in an entertaining Premier Soccer League match at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday. The score was 0-0 at half-time. In other matches, Free State Stars moved to position two on the log against Platinum Stars and Lamontville Golden Arrows beat Black Leopards 1-0.

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/ 25 November 2007

PSL reprieve for suspended Sundowns stars

The Premier Soccer League has acted with uncharacteristic speed in rearranging Friday night’s abandoned PSL game between Mamelodi Sundowns and Jomo Cosmos — in the process providing suspended Brazilian stars Vuyo Mere and Shere Lekgothoane with a reprieve for Saturday’s Telkom Knockout final.

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/ 25 November 2007

Thanda Royal Zulu leave Santos bleeding

Bottom of the log before Saturday night’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) game, Thanda Royal Zulu achieved what not many PSL teams have managed — they left Cape Town with a clear-cut 2-0 victory over Santos and rose above Jomo Cosmos by a fractional goal-difference advantage.

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/ 25 November 2007

Fight begins for the soul of SA

On December 16, delegates to the 52nd national conference of the African National Congress will meet in Polokwane to decide if President Thabo Mbeki should have a third term as party president and, with it, power over the party’s MPs. In the meantime, every day brings more intrigue in the succession race.

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/ 25 November 2007

Durban’s Absa Stadium the new home of tennis?

Durban’s Absa Stadium — the home of the Super 14 Shark franchise — could become a tennis stadium or part of a ”high-performance centre”, it was announced on Saturday. The head of strategic projects at the eThekwini municipality said the plan is for the 2010 Moses Mabhida Stadium to host rugby, soccer and athletics.

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/ 25 November 2007

Armed robbers make off with Beeld’s computers

The Pretoria offices of the daily Afrikaans newspaper Beeld were robbed of more than 30 computers and four cars, Pretoria police said on Saturday. ”I can confirm that a group of armed men stole about 38 computers, four cars, a camera and a cellphone during the robbery in Hatfield on Friday night,” said Captain Lucas Sithole.

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/ 25 November 2007

Austrian man shot dead on KZN golf course

An Austrian national was shot and killed at Selborne Estate, which is enclosed by electric fencing, in Durban south, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Saturday. The 46-year-old man booked into the estate at about 3pm on Friday and went to play a round of golf. His body was discovered on the course at about 6pm.

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/ 25 November 2007

I’m fit to govern, says Zuma

African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma is ”ready” to be the country’s president if asked to do so, the Sunday Times quoted him as saying. ”If I am asked I will be ready for the task,” he told a function for black businessmen in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Friday.

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/ 24 November 2007

Pirates, Chiefs finish on level score

The sultry Durban weather did not deter Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs from entertaining a capacity crowd with four fantastic goals in a pulsating Premier Soccer League match at the Absa Stadium on Saturday. Chiefs striker Mabhudi Khanyeza scored one of the quickest goals, in 17 seconds, to be seen in South Africa.

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/ 24 November 2007

Cape mops up after rain disaster

Western Cape Premier Ibrahim Rasool on Saturday met emergency personnel after a killer storm left two dead and damage estimated at around R600-million. An official of the devastated Eden district municipality said storms that ravaged the Cape have caused damage estimated between R500-million and R600-million to the Poort area.

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/ 24 November 2007

Good news for SA soccer fans

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is confident the World Cup 2010 stadiums will be ready on time, and the workers building them will get a bonus if they don’t go on strike again. Also, local fans discovered on Saturday they will get cheap and even free tickets to the games.

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/ 24 November 2007

Cape Minstrels get R1m centenary boost

The City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee supports a recommendation to donate R1-million to fund the cost of essential services during the centenary celebrations of the Cape Minstrels. Mayoral committee member Simon Grindrod said the ”Kaapse Klopse” are an important part of Cape Town’s rich history.

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/ 24 November 2007

Zuma gets another vote of confidence

African National Congress deputy president Zuma was named as the preferred presidential candidate of the Mpumalanga ANC general council, South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported on Friday. Zuma polled 263 votes at a the council meeting held at Waterval Boven on Friday.

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/ 24 November 2007

Journalist demands apology from Gevisser

Journalist Charlene Smith on Friday demanded a public apology from Mark Gevisser, author of the book Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred, saying he had published ”serious inaccuracies”. She was referring to an article by her, published in the Washington Post, that Gevisser quoted in his biography of Mbeki.

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/ 24 November 2007

Miner dead in Harmony rockfall

One miner has died and another was injured following an underground accident at Harmony Gold’s Elandsrand mine on Friday, the company said. ”He succumbed to his injuries after he was trapped underground for four hours. His body was discovered in the afternoon,” said chief operating officer Alwyn Pretorius.

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/ 24 November 2007

Fifa chief savours Africa’s first World Cup

With South Africa set to stage the qualifying draw for the 2010 World Cup, Fifa president Sepp Blatter is claiming a personal victory. ”I am very happy to be here in Durban, South Africa — [in] my continent,” he said. The Fifa leader claims credit for making sure Africa finally gets to host soccer’s biggest championship.

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/ 24 November 2007

SuperSport, Wits get the points

SuperSport United beat Moroka Swallows 2-1 in their Premier Soccer League game played at Germiston Stadium on Friday night, and Bidvest Wits beat Bloemfontein Celtic 2-0 in their match. Part of the game in Germiston was played in heavy rain and referee Robert Smith was forced to stop the match for 15 minutes.