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/ 10 September 2007

Julies gets call to replace De Villiers

Blue Bulls inside centre Wayne Julies will join the Springbok World Cup squad in France after Jean de Villiers tore a bicep muscle in the match against Samoa on Sunday. This was announced by the Blue Bulls on Monday, ending speculation that either Waylon Murray or Marius Joubert would be called up to bolster the Boks backline.

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/ 10 September 2007

Sasol unveils $2,5-billion BEE deal

Sasol, the world’s top maker of oil from coal, posted a 10% rise in annual headline earnings per share, lifted by an increase in the price of oil and weakening of the rand, it said on Monday. In the biggest affirmative action deal in South Africa yet, South Africa’s Sasol said will sell a 10% stake for a total of R17,9-billion.

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/ 10 September 2007

Soweto wine festival draws record crowd

A festival touting wines to Sowetans drew record numbers over the weekend, organisers said on Sunday. Participants tasted wines from more than 800 labels on display at the show at Soweto campus of the University of Johannesburg. ”I tasted wine for the first time at the show and I love the experience,” said a 20-year-old university undergraduate.

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/ 10 September 2007

Police arrest Zille over protest

Police arrested Democratic Alliance (DA) leader and Cape Town mayor Helen Zille on Sunday in connection with a protest she led against drug lords wreaking havoc in Cape Town’s poor districts. DA councillor Grant Pascoe said Zille was arrested after she went to a police station to inquire about the arrest of a religious leader who had participated in the protest.

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/ 9 September 2007

Zuma: Umshini Wami part of SA history

African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma questioned the ”Americanisation” of culture in South Africa, criticising television images of sex and violence during a speech in Johannesburg on Sunday. ”There’s more violence on the TV … there’s more open sex on TV. What education are you giving to us? Is that part of our culture?”

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/ 9 September 2007

Crime Line manager wins award

Crime Line manager Yusuf Abramjee was awarded the security personality of the year award by the Security Association of South Africa (Sasa), Primedia said in a statement on Saturday. Crime Line is Primedia’s anonymous SMS tip-off service, endorsed by the South African Police Service.

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/ 9 September 2007

Vavi: SABC shows signs of becoming state broadcaster

Congress of South African Trade Unions secretary general Zwelenzima Vavi on Saturday warned that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was ”showing clear signs” of becoming a broadcaster of the state. ”Increasingly our government and the SABC talk about controlling and limiting what the public broadcaster can or should convey to our people,” he said.

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/ 9 September 2007

Namibia snatch Nations Cup qualification

Namibia snatched a surprise berth at next year’s African Nations Cup finals in Ghana, scoring a stoppage time winner in a 3-2 victory at Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on Saturday. Manu Katupose netted the decisive goal after Namibia, missing several of their regulars and given little chance of advancing, had twice come from behind in the second half.

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/ 9 September 2007

Province sneak home against Sharks

Western Province at last recorded a win over Absa Currie Cup rugby frontrunners when they beat the Sharks in a hard fought match at Newlands on Saturday. The first half belonged to the men in the hooped jerseys and the home team led 16-6 at halftime with the WP looseforwards dominating at the breakdown.

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/ 9 September 2007

Bulldogs break drought with win over Griffons

The Border Bulldogs broke their winless drought when they upset the Griffons 34-26 in their Absa Currie Cup first division match at East London’s Absa Stadium on Saturday. It was the best Bulldogs display of guts and passion the entire season and although they faced a massive onslaught from the Griffons pack after leading 27-13 at the break, their will to win saw them through.

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/ 8 September 2007

Shilowa concerned by violent protests

The violent nature of many recent protests was a major concern, said Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa on Monday. He was briefing the media in Johannesburg on the recent Gauteng Extended Executive Council lekgotla. ”Many [protests] were characterised by street blockades, the burning of tyres and the destruction of property.”

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/ 8 September 2007

Majestic Ghana shatter SA’s Olympic dream

A bungling South Africa lost 3-1 to a majestic Ghana team in an Olympic soccer qualifier at the Olen Park Stadium in Potchefstroom on Saturday. Ghana striker Prince Tagoe scored twice and midfielder Obed Ansah netted a splendid goal to join Nigeria at the top of the three-team group competing for a place at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

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/ 8 September 2007

Tourists caught photographing reed dance

Two foreign tourists were arrested and later released on warning for taking photographs without approval at the Zulu royal reed dance at kwaNongoma in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reports. Organisers said that a man and a woman had failed to obey rules made to protect the participants and retain the dignity of the ceremony.

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/ 8 September 2007

Two African teams withdraw from 2010 World Cup

The Central African Republic and São Tomé and Príncipe have pulled out of the 2010 World Cup, precipitating a change in the first phase of the African qualifiers. Fida said in a statement it had changed the draw for the opening round of African qualifying matches, in which the 10 lowest ranked teams had been paired.

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/ 7 September 2007

Argentina stymie France in Cup opener


Argentina created one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by beating host nation France 17-12 at Stade Francais on Friday night. In front of a full house at Saint Denis France froze in the headlights and produced a string of errors suggesting that they will not be the force some had expected in the showpiece event.

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/ 7 September 2007

Lights, camera, rugby!

The 2007 Rugby World Cup kicked off in France on Friday night, filling the Cup stadium in Paris with colour and movement in a somewhat bizarre ceremony that was shorter and much less grandiose than those of soccer and the Olympics. Thousands of spectators watched as drummers surrounded the field and beat out loud rhythms on big, red oil drums as planes flew past trailing red and blue smoke.

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/ 7 September 2007

Climate scientist gives SA thumbs-up

The South African government’s attitude to global warming was very encouraging, chief scientific adviser to the British government David King said on Friday. The South African-born King, who is in the country for a series of ministerial meetings on a range of issues, also gave the thumbs-up to this country’s planned pebble-bed modular nuclear reactor.

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/ 7 September 2007

Beckenbauer impressed with SA’s 2010 progress

German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer visited the construction site of Cape Town’s 2010 Soccer World Cup stadium on Friday and declared himself ”very, very impressed” with preparations. ”I am very, very impressed with the construction going on in Cape Town and it’s fantastic what the people in South Africa are doing in preparing themselves for the World Cup in 2010,” he said.

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/ 7 September 2007

Operation under way to separate conjoined twins

A 10-hour operation to separate conjoined twins Danielle and Danika Lowton is currently under way at the Arwyp Medical Centre Private Hospital in Kempton Park, spokesperson Henry du Plooy confirmed on Friday. Only four operations of this nature, namely the separation of conjoined twins, have ever been carried out in South Africa.