Wage negotiations in the gold sector of the Chamber of Mines resumed at a slow pace on Monday, trade union Solidarity said. Solidarity mining spokesperson Reint Dykema said the Chamber of Mines had increased its salary offer from 7% to a ”disappointing” 7,25%.
Soshanguve serial rapist Simon Malatji was on Monday sentenced in the Pretoria High Court to life imprisonment and a further 307 years on various other counts. Judge Ronnie Bosielo sentenced Malatji (32) to life imprisonment for twice raping one of his victims and to a further 307 years’ imprisonment on 30 further counts. All sentences will run concurrently with the life sentence.
There is a rising tide of Zimbabwean immigrants crossing the border into South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. DA home affairs spokesperson Mark Lowe said he and several other DA parliamentarians and local DA councillors had visited the Beitbridge border post and surrounding areas.
Former national cricketer Garth le Roux had acted openly and honestly in all the transactions over which he now faces fraud charges, his advocate told Cape Town’s Wynberg Regional Court on Monday. Le Roux and his accountant, Deon van Heerden, are seeking a discharge at the end of the state’s case on the 48 counts of fraud they both face.
State utility Transnet unveiled its new brand positioning and corporate-identity strategy in Johannesburg on Monday. Company group chief executive Maria Ramos told reporters that the company had come up with a new one-brand image with its different operations falling under it.
The Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has distanced itself from a South African Press Association (Sapa) report on a speech by Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Monday. Sapa’s report was issued under the headline: ”High crime levels driving tourists away: Van Schalkwyk.”
Caxton has been granted leave to participate in the Naspers/EMN/SuperSport merger procedures subject to certain conditions, the Competition Tribunal said on Monday. The tribunal said the merger had been referred to them at the end of May by the Competition Commission.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) has threatened to call for a boycott of Vodacom unless it extends organisational rights to the Communication Workers’ Union. Satawu would ”seriously consider” withdrawing its contracts for cellphones and airtime, Satawu general secretary Randall Howard said on Monday.
A man who allegedly claimed over the internet to have had sex with a number of prominent South Africans appeared in the Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court on Monday. District court prosecutor Tanya Buitendag confirmed that Juan Uys appeared in court in connection with a warrant of arrest for theft in the Western Cape.
The Safety and Security Ministry dismissed claims on Monday that a draft Bill governing news coverage of important national buildings and institutions was constitutionally incompatible. Ministry spokesperson Trevor Bloem said state law advisers had ensured the Bill conformed to all constitutional principles.
South Africa’s rampant crime is a major threat to the growth of the country’s tourism industry, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus Van Schalkwyk said on Monday. Speaking at a conference, Van Schalkwyk said crime is one of the main factors preventing potential tourists from visiting the country.
Sasol has become the first company globally to register a nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement project that converts greenhouse gas N2O into harmless nitrogen and oxygen gases, the company announced on Monday. ”This project reflects our continuous drive to decrease the impact of our operations on the environment,” it said in a statement.
Businessman Billy Rautenbach, best known in South Africa and Botswana for his activities in assembling Hyundai cars, on Monday denied reports that he was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and deported to Zimbabwe. In a statement released on his behalf, Rautenbach confirmed that he was in the DRC last week.
A total of 1 136 patients were transferred from public to private hospitals during the public-sector strike at a cost of R24,9-million, the Department of Health said on Monday. The private hospital groups, which include Life Healthcare, Medi-Clinic and Netcare, agreed to charge lower fees.
The South African National Editors’ Forum has condemned the introduction of a Bill governing news coverage of national buildings and institutions as constitutionally incompatible. Sanef said the draft Key Points and Strategic Installations Bill of 2007 violated constitutional rights to freedom of expression.
Police fired rubber bullets at protesting residents in Kliptown, south of Johannesburg, on Monday after being pelted with stones during a service-delivery protest. Police spokesperson Captain Phillomon Khorombi said the protesters were gathered at the Kliptown shopping centre.
Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride’s R3,6-million lawsuit against daily newspaper the Citizen has been postponed in the Johannesburg High Court until Wednesday. The judge, Justice George Maluleke, was reported to be on leave.
The Health Department says the Eastern Cape’s Frere Hospital maintenance budget must be drastically increased. In a statement released on Sunday, the department recommended that the maintenance budget be increased to R35-million, or 5% of the hospital’s total budget.
Placed fifth in the recently-completed Premiership log, Tottenham Hotspur provided scant evidence of challenging the big four of English soccer for major honours in the coming season while completing a comfortable enough 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the opening Vodacom Challenge game.
The man allegedly behind bizarre internet sex claims against prominent South Africans will probably be transferred from Kroonstad to Cape Town sometime this week, said police. Juan Duval Uys (39) was arrested at the home he shared with his mother in Kroonstad on Saturday after a months-long investigation.
A miner was found dead underground at AngloGold Ashanti’s Moab Khotsong mine, near Orkney, at 2am on Sunday morning. The body of a second miner had been located underground at 9am and rescue workers were in the process of recovering it, said AngloGold Ashanti spokesperson Steve Lenahan.
A shoot-to-kill call by a top South African law enforcement officer has fuelled a debate on how far police can go to defend themselves in one of the world’s most crime-ridden societies. Bheki Cele, minister for community safety in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, struck a chord by saying: ”Once criminals pull their guns, police should aim for the head.”
President Thabo Mbeki has urged unemployed South Africans to create their own job opportunities through the setting up of small businesses. Addressing Lwandle community members near Cape Town at a presidential imbizo on Saturday, Mbeki told the unemployed to utilise the several business support programmes which the government had set up for their benefit.
What a surprise! After being outplayed and outmanouevred in the first half of their CAF Confederation Cup game against the Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP Mazembe at Loftus on Saturday night and trailing 2-0 at the interval, PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns stormed back and snatched a 3-2 victory.
Former African National Congress chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe could face jail for failing to appear in court for a maintenance hearing, media reports said on Sunday. Justice Ministry spokesperson Lazarus Mothupi said neither Goniwe nor his lawyer had informed the court of his absence. A warrant of arrest was issued.
It was bad-tempered and it was close, but the Blue Bulls held off Western Province to win 26-17 in a Absa Currie Cup rugby match at Newlands on Saturday. A dubious decision by the television official allowing a Derick Kuün try when it appeared as if he had lost the ball forward.
Former president FW De Klerk ”knew nothing” about the attempt on Frank Chikane’s life, according to one of the accused in the case, General Johann van der Merwe. Media reports said that former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok and Van der Merwe were angry at having to bear the blame for crimes committed in the apartheid era
Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan urged African leaders on Sunday to practise good governance and democracy to rebuild the continent, and told the world’s rich nations to keep their promises of aid. ”It is vital that Africa lead its own development process,” he told a gathering at the fifth annual Nelson Mandela lecture.
South Africa’s national selectors have stayed true to their word and named a predictable and experienced squad of 30 players to feature at this year’s World Cup tournament. National coach Jake White named 14 backs and 16 forwards with the squad being a good blend of youth and experience.
Embattled Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride will be given ”time off” pending the outcome of a court case against him. Ekurhuleni mayor Duma Nkosi would not be drawn on whether McBride would be suspended or given paid or unpaid leave.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union on Friday threatened to go on strike if Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride was not suspended. ”We are going to say to the municipality, suspend Robert McBride or municipal service delivery is going to be hampered,” said Samwu branch secretary Koena Ramotlou.
Bill Clinton charmed crowds in Southern Africa this week, mingling with barefooted children and joking with Malawians — showing the diplomatic skills he could put to use if his wife becomes America’s first woman president. Hillary Clinton has said she would make her husband a roaming ambassador, using his talent to repair America’s tattered image abroad.