The Western Cape’s newest — and potentially second largest — cycle race, Die Burger Fietstoer, was unveiled on Friday and will take place on Sunday December 2. This road race will take place in and around Stellenbosch and is an official seeding event for the Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour.
The Free State Cheetahs had few problems beating the Valke by 45-11 at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Friday night. The visitors patiently waited for the home side to make mistakes, on which they then pounced. Most of the visitors’ six tries were against the run of play, with the Valke failing to protect their own ball.
The South African Football Association (Safa) shenanigans of the past week regarding accusations levelled against Sbu Mngadi, the former CEO of the national association’s commercial wing, SA Football, continued unabated on Friday — much to the detriment of the reputation of the administration of soccer in South Africa.
President Thabo Mbeki departs for Accra in Ghana on Saturday for the African Union summit meeting, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The summit for heads of state and government runs from Sunday to Tuesday. The AU summit is due to discuss the political and economic integration of the continent.
A pilot had to be airlifted to hospital by helicopter on Friday afternoon after he crashed his light aircraft into a tree outside Tzaneen, said Limpopo police. Superintendent Ronel Otto said the pilot was practising for an annual air show in Tzaneen on Saturday when he developed problems with the plane.
The African National Congress’s (ANC) policy conference enters its final day well ahead of schedule on Saturday at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, with a closing address by party president Thabo Mbeki set for 10am instead of 3pm as originally planned. On Friday, there was a ”strong call” at the conference for a women’s ministry.
The African National Congress (ANC) has come up with a compromise that leaves the way open for either Thabo Mbeki or Jacob Zuma to stand for the party presidency at the end of the year. The succession battle has loomed large over the organisation’s policy conference in Midrand despite a call by Mbeki for members to remain focused on policy.
The St Lucia Wetlands Park is in danger of being destroyed by sea water is flowing into it, the Wetlands Park Authority warned on Friday. The estuary mouth was breached by high seas last month after being closed for five years. The large quantity of sea water flowing into the St Lucia lake was already having a negative effect on vegetation, birds and fish.
Cocaine with a street value of R23-million was seized in the cargo of South African Airways (SAA) flight SA206 from São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, the airline said. The 51,6kg haul consisted of 33 foil-wrapped parcels hidden inside a dough-making machine in a crate on a cargo pallet.
There can be ”no turning back” on the restructuring of South African Airways (SAA), chief executive Khaya Ngqula said on Friday, releasing SAA’s financial results for the year ending March 31. SAA posted an R883-million loss, with operating costs of R21,3-billion outstripping income at R20,6-billion.
Wrapped in a blanket, sitting near the heater, a steamy mug of hot chocolate in one hand and the other resting on the armrest your favourite chair — what could be better to beat the bleak chills of winter? Other than experiencing the National Arts Festival from Grahamstown in the comfort of your own home at the same time, that is.
The Children’s Act is set to come into force on Sunday, except for those sections still needing regulations, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya said on Friday. ”The bulk of the Act deals with matters that must be implemented on a practical level, which means that regulations will be required before these matters can be operationalised,” he said in a statement.
The African National Congress (ANC) succession battle has loomed large over the party’s policy conference in Midrand despite a call by President Thabo Mbeki for members to remain focused on policy. At a media briefing on Friday, ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe confirmed to reporters that the issue had been strongly on the agenda.
A total of 46 327 people are awaiting trial in prisons across the country, the South African Prisoners’ Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) said on Friday. Golden Miles Bhudu of Sapohr said the organisation was creating awareness of people languishing in prisons without knowing when their cases would be heard.
The African National Congress (ANC) said on Friday it hoped to reach consensus this week on how to elect its next leader, a decision that could rule out national President Thabo Mbeki. ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe told a news conference delegates were debating a number of non-binding proposals on how to resolve the leadership debate.
The Durban High Court has ruled that the eThekwini municipality can go ahead with controversial plans to rename several of the city’s streets and landmarks. South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Friday that the court rejected an application by the Democratic Alliance to force the municipality to put a hold on street name changes.
One solution to South Africa’s land-reform problem is to make available some of the ”huge tracts” of state-owned land around the country, says Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille. ”This land is currently unproductive, under-utilised and under-resourced,” she said in her weekly newsletter, published on the DA’s SA Today website on Friday.
Growth in demand for credit from South Africa’s private sector slowed marginally to 24,84% year-on-year in May, data showed on Friday, easing slightly pressure for more interest-rate increases. Private-sector credit extension slowed from 25,08% year-on-year in April, the South African Reserve Bank said, below forecasts of a 25,6% rise.
On Thursday, the South African Football Association’s (Safa) vice-president and chairperson of the national association’s tottering SA Football subsidiary, Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, laid charges with the police against former SA Football CEO Sbu Mngadi over alleged forgery and misappropriation of funds.
South African banks, which account for the majority of loans issued, may have no idea how deeply indebted their customers are, Business Report said on Friday. Unisa’s Bureau for Market Research has conducted a study on the extent of indebtedness on behalf of one of the banks.
Delegates return to the African National Congress’s (ANC) policy conference on Friday morning for a third day of concentrated debate. Meanwhile, as other delegates pressed on with shaping their vision for the party and the country, the organisation’s deputy president, Jacob Zuma, took time off on Thursday to woo the workers.
Truman Prince, the reinstated municipal manager of the Central Karoo district municipality, says he is ready to resume his duties in that local authority, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Friday. The municipality decided to reinstate him in a meeting on Thursday.
There was ”broad consensus” at the African National Congress’s (ANC) policy conference in Midrand on the need for a developmental state with more government intervention, but ratings agencies need not worry, the party said on Thursday. ”We’re not sending out a threatening message,” said the ANC’s Jeremy Cronin.
Thursday was described as the ”toughest yet” by a delegate at the African National Congress (ANC) policy conference in Midrand. ”It was the toughest … there are different views in terms of the decision to nominate a presidential candidate,” said Ernest Makopo from Gauteng.
Independent market research has found that more than two-thirds of Capetonians are in favour of the Green Point Stadium, City of Cape Town officials said on Thursday. ”These are exciting and gratifying scientific results, and it shows a growing excitement in Cape Town,” said the city’s director of service-delivery integration.
A Boeing 737 belonging to Angola’s state TAAG airline crashed in the northern city of M’banza Congo on Thursday, killing at least six people and badly injuring others, Angola’s Angop news agency said. The airplane was carrying 78 passengers and was en route from Luanda to M’Banza Congo, which is in northern Angola.
African National Congress (ANC) delegates attending the party’s policy conference in Midrand agreed there is still a need for the tripartite alliance, national executive committee member Joel Netshitenzhe said on Thursday. The alliance should be made up of the social movement, trade-union movement and the revolution movement.
With the small-business tax-amnesty deadline looming, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) will extend its office hours from Thursday, a Sars spokesperson said. From Thursday, Sars branch offices will extend their operational hours until 6pm, Adrian Lackay said. Sars offices will also be open on Saturday.
Most public-service unions on Thursday agreed to sign the government’s final wage offer, ending the longest public-service strike in South African history. Although teachers’ unions, whose members were at the forefront of the strike, did not accept the deal, majority approval means it will be implemented across the whole public service.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is exploring the possibility of entering into a coalition with other parties in Parliament. The leader of the official opposition in the National Assembly, Sandra Botha, told the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday that a coalition brings ”more weight” to bear on important issues.
A group opposed to Potchefstroom’s expected name change to Tlokwe has threatened to ”punish” the town’s residents if the mayor doesn’t reverse the name-change procedure within 40 days, a mayoral spokesperson said on Thursday. Meanwhile, another street sign bearing former president Nelson Mandela’s name has been defaced.
The Cape High Court on Thursday jailed Dina Rodrigues and two accomplices for life for the baby Jordan-Leigh Norton contract murder. Judge Basheer Waglay said the murder, in June 2005, was ”calculated, callous and cold-blooded”, and ”cowardly and cruel in the extreme”.