War veterans in Zimbabwe are planning to stage a ”million-man” march through the streets of the capital, Harare, in support of President Robert Mugabe, state radio said early on Sunday. Veterans of the 1970s war against white minority rule are among the 83-year old Mugabe’s most loyal supporters.
Seven tries in the first half and a score of 47-0 at the break against the Boland Cavaliers on Saturday ensured the Golden Lions of third place on the Absa Currie Cup log after the last round of the season. The Lions’ comprehensive win of 75-0 will see them play the Sharks in Durban next Saturday in the first of the Currie Cup semifinals.
A wet and slippery Newlands set the scene for Western Province’s final Currie Cup match in 2007. Province were still in with a chance at the play-offs — however, the team had to score 102 points to qualify. Against Griquas this was always going to be an impossible task.
It started off as no more than a stroll in the park for the Sharks at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday. But in the end it became a struggle for the weakened KwaZulu-Natal side to overcome a determined bottom-placed Valke in their final round-robin Absa Currie Cup rugby match.
A goal of sheer magic and another of clinical precision from Katlego Mphela gave SuperSport United a 2-1 Telkom Knockout win against Santos at a desolate, mainly deserted Athlone Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Apart from the decisive influence of the goal-hungry SuperSport striker, the teams were evenly matched throughout.
The battle for the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) is becoming ever dirtier and fuelled by paranoia in the final weeks before delegates vote for the as-yet undeclared candidates. The challenge on the surface appears a straight contest between incumbent Thabo Mbeki and ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma.
Climate change is already happening in South Africa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday during a visit to a biodiversity centre in Cape Town. ”You can see that climate change is already a reality here,” said Merkel, as she visited Biota Africa, a centre where German and South African scientists conduct research on African climate change.
Forsaking high office in order to build the organisation should be the highest honour for members of the African National Congress (ANC), said the ruling party’s national treasurer Mendi Msimang on Saturday. ”Election to high office in the ANC should not be regarded as a stepping stone to government position or the accumulation of wealth,” he said.
Legendary golfer Gary Player has come under fire in South Africa over his company’s business ties with Burma, where a golf course he designed is allegedly used by members of the brutal ruling junta. South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called for a boycott of all foreign companies doing business in the Asian country.
Another body was found on Friday in the sugar-cane fields surrounding Umzinto’s Shayamoya township, police said on Saturday. Police spokesperson Superintendent Zandra Hechter said skeletal remains of a woman were found by workers who were burning the sugar-cane fields at the time.
An 8% ”overall range” of price hikes was confirmed by the University of the Witwatersrand council, the institution said on Saturday. This followed three days of protests at the university over increases in the upfront fees payment students are expected to make in 2008, and against students having to pay for their own accommodation.
Municipal officials in the uThukela district were accused at President Thabo Mbeki’s imbizo (meeting) near Ladysmith of asking for political party cards before serving residents. An estimated 8 000 people packed the tents at the Uitval sports grounds near Ladysmith to meet Mbeki and hundreds lined up to have their chance to complain.
The Free State Cheetahs pulled off the double over the Blue Bulls with a near-clinical 29-17 victory at Loftus Versfeld on Friday evening. The Bulls had begun with plenty of gusto but soon found themselves running out of steam and handing the game to the Cheetahs.
Jomo Cosmos beat Bidvest Wits 2-1 in an almost farcical and drama-filled Telkom Knockout Cup last-16 match at the Bidvest Stadium on Friday night. As expected, the game started off drearily, but all hell broke loose after Cosmos went 1-0 up from an Anthony Laffor header in the 65th minute.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Friday called for a broader political inquiry into the suspension of the director of the National Prosecuting Authority, advocate Vusi Pikoli. ”This has now become more urgent than ever,” spokesperson Patrick Craven said.
German Chancellor Angel Merkel on Friday dismissed fears of crime derailing the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. Doomsayers had triggered heated debate in Germany with their criticisms over its hosting of the soccer spectacular in 2006 and she was sure the same ”may well happen in South Africa”.
President Thabo Mbeki steered clear on Friday of the furore over suspended National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli, opting to devote his weekly newsletter, ANC Today, to eye-care awareness week. As readers remained in the dark on Mbeki’s own views on the controversy, he began this week’s column with: ”Those who have eyes to see, let them see!”
President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses Ernest Blom has withdrawn from the verification process of a ”7 000-carat diamond” found in the North West in August. ”I withdraw from the process completely and disassociate myself from any further press statements made by anyone but myself,” Blom said on Friday in a statement.
The lack of legislation regulating the conduct of judges has resulted in Cape Judge President John Hlophe getting away with a ”slap on the wrist”, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Friday. DA spokesperson on justice Sheila Camerer said Hlophe’s case highlighted the need to expedite the passing of such legislation.
The 2010 Soccer World Cup is an opportunity to create a new image for Africa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told President Thabo Mbeki on Friday. The two leaders met at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where Mbeki hosted Merkel for talks as part of her official state visit to South Africa.
President Robert Mugabe presides over a disaster in Zimbabwe but should still be entitled to attend a forthcoming Europe-Africa summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday. Summing up talks in Pretoria with President Thabo Mbeki, Merkel said she made clear her disquiet about the situation across South Africa’s northern border.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday vowed it will pursue the controversy surrounding President Thabo Mbeki and police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. Writing in the party’s weekly newsletter, SA Today, parliamentary leader of the DA Sandra Botha said the gravity of the situation was such that it should not be underestimated.
Recent crime statistics show that whatever is being done to fight crime in South Africa is not working, an expert said on Friday. ”It shows us that there is something wrong with our approach to this fight,” researcher Johan Burger said at the Institute of Security Studies seminar on the country’s crime-prevention strategy.
Statements attributed to the chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in Limpopo, Sello Moloto, were on Friday described as reckless, immature and childish by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL). The ANCYL said Moloto was incorrigible and had become an embarrassment and a political liability.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Willie Madisha has stepped down, it emerged on Friday. A special task team will now be established to make recommendations to Cosatu’s Central Executive Committee after Madisha voluntarily stepped down.
Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Mokotedi Mpshe has taken steps to cancel both an arrest and search warrant for police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. The National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement it would like ”to clarify the status of the arrest and search warrants”.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel says he has been assured by Absa there will be no individual enrichment in its sponsorship deal with the Premier Soccer League (PSL). ”We have the assurance that Absa would do everything in its power to [ensure] that the money is used as intended, for the advancement of soccer in this country,” he said on Friday.
President Thabo Mbeki ordered a safety review on Friday of all South Africa’s mines after a successful operation to rescue thousands of workers who were trapped underground. A statement from his office said Mbeki had called on Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica to conduct an across-the-board audit following the accident.
The case of Glenn Agliotti, accused of the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble, was postponed to January 22 in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Both prosecutor and defence lawyers requested that the matter be postponed for Scorpions prosecutor Gerrie Nel and his team of investigators to further investigate the criminal charges against Agliotti.
The South African Reserve Bank is expected to forge ahead with its monetary tightening at Thursday’s policy meeting, say global analysts Moody’s Economy.com. The analysts highlight that August credit and sales figures have helped to underpin opinion that the Reserve Bank will raise interest rates by another 50 basis points.
The JSE was slightly negative by midday on Friday, as profit-taking among platinum stocks led the bourse to give up some of its earlier gains. By noon on the JSE, the all-share index had given up 0,06%, as platinum stocks dipped 3,23%. Resources were 0,24% lower, but the gold-mining index advanced 1,67%.
Visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel was expected to urge South African President Thabo Mbeki in talks in Pretoria on Friday to increase pressure for a resolution to the crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe. German sources said Merkel was determined to press Mbeki to do more to ensure an end to alleged human rights abuses in the country.