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/ 25 October 2007
A 12-day-long strike at Sasol Mining in Secunda has come to an end with both Sasol and employees represented by the newly recognised United People’s Union of South Africa trade union agreeing that work would resume on Thursday afternoon. An estimated 2 000 employees embarked on the strike almost two weeks ago.
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/ 25 October 2007
With five forwards and only two backs on the bench, it does not take a rocket scientist to predict that the Cheetahs will play it mostly tight in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup final against the Lions in Bloemfontein. And the Lions are aware of it. ”They will probably try and make a statement with their forwards, but we’ll just play our own game,” said Lions coach Eugene Eloff.
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/ 25 October 2007
A trial within a trial will be held to decide on the admissibility of certain evidence in the drunken-driving case of Pretoria High Court Judge Nkola Motata. ”I’m of the view that the objection by the defence for the state to tender evidence in the manner it requests is to be sustained,” Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court magistrate Desmond Nair ruled on Thursday.
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/ 25 October 2007
There is no compelling evidence that circumstances in Zimbabwe currently pose a threat to financial stability in South Africa, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said on Thursday. Releasing the <i>Financial Stability Review</i>, it said that currently the potential for negative news from Zimbabwe to affect investor sentiment towards South Africa is small.
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/ 25 October 2007
All wild abalone (perlemoen) fishing will be suspended from November 1 to ensure the survival of the species, the government announced on Thursday. A social plan to address the job losses resulting from the decision has been approved, government communications head Themba Maseko said.
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/ 25 October 2007
Ten men and a sangoma are to appear in the Westonaria Magistrate’s Court after they were arrested for the murder and armed robbery of a Jagfontein man, Gauteng police said on Thursday. The 70-year-old owner of Ashvalley Bricks and Sand was shot in the upper body while his wife and son were tied up.
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/ 25 October 2007
South African bank shares leapt on Thursday after reports that China’s biggest bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, has agreed to buy a 20% stake in Standard Bank, in a deal reported to be worth ,5-billion. Trading in Standard Bank shares was halted ahead of the release of a statement by the bank on the outcome of negotiations.
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/ 25 October 2007
South Africa claimed their second sporting title within five days thanks to a 4-3 penalty shootout victory against Zambia in the Cosafa Castle Cup final on Wednesday. The success of Bafana Bafana following a goalless draw in Bloemfontein came five days after the Springboks lifted the Rugby World Cup with a 15-6 triumph over England in Paris.
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/ 25 October 2007
South Africa’s producer price index (PPI) rose by 9,4% year-on-year (y/y) in September, unchanged from August, Statistics South Africa data on Thursday showed. The PPI declined 0,7% on a monthly basis after August’s monthly increase of 0,7%. PPI was at 9% y/y a year ago.
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/ 25 October 2007
The JSE remained firm at midday on Thursday as activity in the banking sector continued to dominate the market. At noon, the all-share index was up 0,97%, led by a 3,34% climb in the platinum mining index. The gold mining index gained 1,34% and resources rose 0,69%.
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/ 25 October 2007
Gold Fields reported on Thursday an 18,6% fall in first-quarter adjusted earnings per share compared with the prevous quarter, blaming higher costs and falling output overseas. Gold Fields, the world’s fourth biggest gold producer, said adjusted EPS declined to 61 cents.
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/ 25 October 2007
Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhenkhesi Stofile has said South Africans would be given an opportunity to take part in a national debate regarding the Springbok emblem. He said the debate would not only focus on the Springbok emblem, but would include all the other sports emblems in the country.
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/ 25 October 2007
South African public finances are sound and the financial system is healthy, while strong economic growth will continue, albeit as a slower pace, Moody’s Investor Service said on Thursday. But political and socio-economic risks may dampen investor sentiment and cloud prospects for a ratings upgrade.
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/ 24 October 2007
South Africa needs to review its crime-prevention strategy, the South African Human Rights Commission has recommended. ”In addition, policies and legislation should be revisited to improve integration, coordination and cooperation across the criminal justice system,” it said in a report on its crime conference in March.
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/ 24 October 2007
Steel giant ArcelorMittal on Wednesday stopped waste disposal at its Vaal site after being ordered to do so by the government, the company said. Waste disposal at the site was halted due to air and water pollution and the dumping of hazardous waste.
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/ 24 October 2007
The African National Congress (ANC) wants to consider setting up a media tribunal to discuss how participation of the public is juxtaposed with current self-regulation in the media. ”It’s not a policy position, we just want to set up a task team to investigate this,” ANC information head Smuts Ngonyama said on Wednesday.
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/ 24 October 2007
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SA Rugby has confirmed details of the Springboks’ victory tour, starting on Friday, to honour the team’s World Cup-winning performance in France. South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins has appealed to the public to join in the celebrations by wearing green and gold.
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/ 24 October 2007
A city-commissioned probe into the activities of controversial councillor Badhi Chaaban was completely legitimate, Cape Town mayor Helen Zille said on Wednesday. However, she promised she would ask an outsider with ”impeccable credentials”, such as a retired judge or senior advocate, to establish whether council funds were misused.
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/ 24 October 2007
South Africa still does not have a comprehensive national security policy, the South African Human Rights Commission said on Wednesday. It also had no policy to fight poverty, said SAHRC CEO Tselifo Thitanyane. ”The integrated justice system is not really working,” said commission chairperson Jody Kollapen.
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/ 24 October 2007
Alleged drug dealer Nazier Kapdi is well-known at the Western Cape directorate for public prosecutions (DPP), the Wynberg Regional Court heard on Wednesday. ”I’ve been a prosecutor for 30 years and I know Kapdi; I know he does not operate his network alone,” DPP senior deputy director Nollie Nieuhaus told the court.
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/ 24 October 2007
Life is improving steadily — at least in the area of housing and basic service delivery — for the 48-million people living in South Africa, according to Statistics South Africa. The organisation on Wednesday released the first results of its 2007 Community Survey, based on responses from about 255Â 000 households.
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/ 24 October 2007
The nine South African soldiers killed during a military training exercise at Lohatla base were on Wednesday hailed as heroes and heroines during a memorial service in Kimberley. Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said that the five men and four women had fallen in defence of South Africa’s hard-won democracy.
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/ 24 October 2007
Four men were arrested after allegedly kidnapping a young boy and demanding R75 000 ransom from his parents on Wednesday, Pretoria police said. ”The [boy’s mother] told the men to come to her office today [Wednesday] to collect the money, and at the same time, she called police,” Inspector Paul Ramaloko said.
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/ 24 October 2007
National oil company PetroSA is to construct a R39-billion crude-oil refinery in Coega near Port Elizabeth, the company announced on Wednesday. Dubbed Project Mthombo, the proposed crude-oil refinery is expected to produce about 200 000 barrels of fuel a day and will come on stream in 2014/15.
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/ 24 October 2007
A crowd of about 500 bereaved music fans thronged in the scorching sun outside music venue the Bassline in Johannesburg’s Newtown cultural precinct on Wednesday for the memorial service of slain South African reggae icon Lucky Dube. Inside were another 1Â 000 fans, family members and friends of the singer.
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/ 24 October 2007
More than 20 teachers were held at gunpoint at a Durban school on Wednesday as two classes were about to write a matric paper, KwaZulu-Natal police said. The incident took place at Chatsworth’s Savannah Park Secondary School at 7.40am, Chatsworth police spokesperson Captain Edmund Singh said.
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/ 24 October 2007
Two miners died at Marula Platinum Mine in Burgersfort, Limpopo, during a blast in one of the shafts, the mine said on Wednesday. Marula Platinum Mine’s spokesperson Elsabe Meiring said the incident happened on Tuesday night and no other people were reported injured.
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/ 24 October 2007
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Virtually all Cabinet ministers and their deputies turned out for Wednesday’s fortnightly Cabinet meeting at Tuynhuys sporting Springbok rugby supporter’s jerseys, jackets or a cap. One minister, rather conspicuous in a traditional robe among the green and gold attire, was heard to remark: ”My underwear is green.”
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/ 24 October 2007
South Africa’s population has grown by almost a quarter over the last decade to over 48-million, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The estimate was released on Wednesday as part of the results of Stats SA’s 2007 Community Survey, the biggest household survey ever undertaken in South Africa.
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/ 24 October 2007
The Eikenhof Clinic, south of Johannesburg, has not had power for the past two weeks, the provincial health department said on Wednesday. Spokesperson Zanele Mngadi said Eskom cut the electricity two weeks ago because the electricity bill had not been paid. ”The account was not paid because of administration challenges and we are currently in talks with Eskom,” she said.
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/ 24 October 2007
The fifth man arrested in connection with the murder of historian David Rattray appeared briefly in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Wednesday, KwaZulu-Natal police said. Zwelihle Mtshali (21) had his case postponed until Thursday, when he would appear in the local high court, police spokesperson Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu said.
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/ 24 October 2007
The South African Broadcasting Corporation would be within its rights not to run a story on Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, but media diversity is important in ensuring that other outlets can run it if they choose to, African National Congress (ANC) politician and businessman Saki Macozoma said on Tuesday.