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/ 1 November 2007

Chiefs score three for rare victory

Kaizer Chiefs left behind their inconsistent ways by taking down Free State Stars 3-0 in wet conditions in their Absa Premiership match played at Olympia Park in Rustenburg on Wednesday night. Kinnah Phiri’s charges collapsed when it mattered most — in the second half — as Mabhuti Khanyeza, Onismor Bhasera and Shaun Bartlett scored goals.

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/ 31 October 2007

Warning against closing elite police units

Closing specialised police units may result in a loss of informer networks, expertise and team spirit, a seminar on policing in South Africa heard on Wednesday. ”To destroy this is a very serious thing that needs to be thought through,” said a senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies, Johan Burger.

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/ 31 October 2007

Four candidates for Bok job announced

Four candidates have been shortlisted to take Springbok coach Jake White’s place, SA Rugby confirmed on Wednesday. They are: Alistair Coetzee (currently one of White’s assistants), Pieter de Villiers (national under-21 coach), Heyneke Meyer (Bulls head coach) and Chester Williams (1995 World Cup winner).

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/ 31 October 2007

Mbeki willing to lead ANC again

South African President Thabo Mbeki has repeated his willingness to stand for re-election as leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) if the party asks him, state radio reported on Wednesday. ANC branches have started the process of nominating candidates for party president ahead of a party conference in December.

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/ 31 October 2007

Chaaban removed from council meeting

The Cape Town City council on Wednesday upheld the metro disciplinary committee’s recommendation that leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) Badih Chaaban be expelled as councillor. Chief whip of the council Anthea Serritslev said a full sitting of council voted in favour of Chaaban’s expulsion.

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/ 31 October 2007

Masetlha accused of being inconsistent in testifying

Former spy boss Billy Masetlha was on Wednesday accused of not being consistent in testifying in the Hatfield Community Court. Prosecutor Matric Luphondo said Masetlha gave different versions of when a report requested by Inspector General of Intelligence Zolile Ngcakani was compiled. Masetlha is charged with contravening the Intelligence Services Oversight Act.

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/ 31 October 2007

Abalone court challenge to proceed

Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk still faces a court challenge from the abalone industry even though he backed down on Wednesday from a harvesting ban. The ban, prompted by rapidly declining stocks, was to have come into effect on Thursday. It would have halted all commercial harvesting of the threatened shellfish from the wild.

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/ 31 October 2007

Disagreement over UJ fee increases

A disagreement broke out on Wednesday over whether University of Johannesburg (UJ) students would honour a memorandum of agreement on fee increases. While the independent mediator called in to resolve the dispute claimed an agreement ending the impasse was in place, the Student Representative Council said no accord had yet been reached.

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/ 31 October 2007

Cops probe abuse allegations at Oprah school

South African police are investigating alleged abuses at billionaire United States television magnate Oprah Winfrey’s all-girl leadership academy, a police spokesperson said on Wednesday. Rapport newspaper has reported a matron at the school allegedly fondled one of the pupils, and grabbed a girl by the throat and threw her against a wall.

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/ 31 October 2007

SA meat exports to EU under threat

The European Union is threatening to ban the import of South African animal products because the government has failed to meet certain requirements agreed on five years ago, the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday. The ban would cover South African beef, mutton, pork, chicken, ostrich and game products, among others.

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/ 31 October 2007

Psychiatrist backs Najwa’s bail bid

According to research, 70% of young children who have a parent in jail develop emotional problems, the Wynberg Regional Court heard from a psychiatrist on Wednesday. Rosa Bredenkamp was testifying before Western Cape Regional Court president Robert Henney in support of Najwa Petersen’s second bail application.

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/ 31 October 2007

Toy gun used in hostage drama

A toy gun was used in a six-hour hostage drama in Lenasia on Wednesday, police said. ”The gun that was used looked very real,” said police spokesperson Captain Julia Klaassen. ”Negotiators did their job well. We are just thankful and relieved that the situation is now over.” The hostages’ ordeal occurred when a 20-year-old Durban man held up the family of four at their home.

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/ 31 October 2007

DA: ANC ignores wishes of the people of Matatiele

KwaZulu-Natal opposition parties on Wednesday accused the ruling African National Congress of ignoring the wishes of the residents of Matatiele and forging ahead with the district’s incorporation into the Eastern Cape. The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused the ANC of ”totally ignoring the wishes of the people of Matatiele Maluti”.

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/ 31 October 2007

Judgement on noseweek decision handed down

Publication of the fact that a person is a client of a specific bank does not infringe privacy rights, according to Cape Deputy Judge President Jeanette Traverso. She made the finding in a written judgement, handed down this week, on a bid by FirstRand to prevent magazine noseweek publishing the names of clients involved in an allegedly dodgy tax scheme.

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/ 31 October 2007

Ramaphosa keeps mum on nomination

Businessman Cyril Ramaphosa refused to be drawn on his nomination as African National Congress president on Wednesday night at the launch of a fund-raising campaign for the University of Venda. He was hounded for an answer from the minute he set foot through the door of Gallagher Estate, in Midrand.

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/ 31 October 2007

Jake White steps down as Bok coach

A bitter Jake White announced on Wednesday that he is to quit as coach of South Africa’s World Cup-winning rugby team, accusing Springbok bosses of bouncing him out of the job. White, who has been linked to coaching positions with rival national sides, said he would take the team to Britain next month for matches against Wales the Barbarians.

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/ 31 October 2007

Hostage drama unfolds in Lenasia

A 20-year-old Durban man who held a Lenasia South family hostage for nearly six hours on Wednesday has given himself up. Donovan Naidoo had earlier released two of the hostages, 23-year-old Denise Bathman and her one-year-old son Jodash. He later released the other two hostages, 27-year-old Gerald Bathman and 16-year-old Praise Archary.

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/ 31 October 2007

Suspension of abalone fishing postponed to 2008

The suspension of abalone fishing has been postponed to February 1 next year, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Wednesday. Instead of the ban coming into effect on Thursday, as originally planned, a substantially reduced total allowable catch of 75 tons would now be permitted during the interim.

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/ 31 October 2007

Downs, Chiefs look to kick-start stuttering season

Call it an amazing coincidence or something worth a disbelieving mention in Ripley’s Believe it or Not. But with Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs kept apart and drawn to play Free State Stars and Bloemfontein Celtic in Telkom Knockout semifinals in 10 days, finding the match-ups reversed in league games on Wednesday is undoubtedly a mathematical phenomenon.

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/ 31 October 2007

‘SA needs to respect justice and the law’

Crime and violence are a way of life in South Africa and, according to David Bruce of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, respect for justice and the law needs to be fostered. Bruce was speaking at a seminar on <i>The State of Criminal Justice: Building Respect for Justice and Human Rights</i> in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

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/ 31 October 2007

Two killed in accident at Kloof Gold Mine

Gold Fields announced on Wednesday that two employees lost their lives in the morning in an underground accident at the number four shaft of Kloof Gold Mine, near Westonaria. Two other mine employees were injured, one seriously. The four were part of a 10-man team working in a stope on 41 level, approximately 3 000m below surface.