The case against a hairdresser and a traditional healer accused of committing a muti murder was postponed in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The postponement was for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to determine a date when the two will stand trial in the Pretoria High Court.
The woman accused of murdering her husband Avhatakali Netshisaulu, the son of City Press editor Mathatha Tsedu, was granted bail in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, her attorney said. Dolph Jonker said Mulalo Sivhidzo was granted bail of R15Â 000 and would appear in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on June 6.
Fraud convict Schabir Shaik has been sent back to Durban’s Westville prison, the Correctional Services department said on Tuesday. It is believed that Shaik was returned to the prison on Monday night. He was referred to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban over a month ago, after he spent two months at a prison infirmary, and 83 days at St Augustine’s hospital.
Illness-plagued Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has ruled out Orlando Pirates striker Lebohang Mokoena and Santos midfielder Erwin Isaacs from the South African squad for Cosafa Cup games this weekend — but he remained undecided on Monday whether he would make the trip to Swaziland himself.
Newly appointed Home Affairs director general Mavuso Msimang has downplayed the gravity of sexual harassment charges hanging over his head, saying they do not give him any ”sleepless nights”. Briefing the media in Cape Town on Tuesday, Msimang said the allegations would not affect his duties.
South African rugby is seemingly in pole position to be the strongest challenger for World Cup honours in France later this year. Winners in 1995 on home soil, the Springboks failed badly at the tournaments in 1999 in Wales and 2003 in Australia, but are now at the top of their game.
Up to 1Â 000 staff in game parks around the country could go on strike in the winter school holiday, inconveniencing local and foreign tourists. On Monday, the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union (Hospersa) said it intended to proceed with protected industrial action in all the South African National Parks reserves.
Dr Mamphela Ramphele has resigned from the board of Standard Bank because of a potential conflict of interest. Bank spokesperson Ross Linstrom said he could not disclose the exact nature of this conflict. This is the third resignation of a high-profile black director from a financial institution as a result of potential conflicts since 2002.
The academic who supervised Shamim ”Chippy” Shaik’s allegedly bogus doctoral thesis has resigned from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, media reports said on Tuesday. Professor Viktor Verijenko tendered his resignation via e-mail on Monday morning.
The inspecting judge of prisons has found that fraud convict Schabir Shaik received no special treatment while in hospital. Westville prison referred Shaik to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban over a month ago, after he spent two months at a prison infirmary, and 83 days at St Augustine’s hospital.
There has been no change in the government’s wage offer to public servants and strike plans are still under way, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Monday. ”We have not received any approach from them,” said Don Pasquallie, Cosatu spokesperson on the public-service unions.
Fidentia’s curators took another bite out of J Arthur Brown’s empire on Monday when they secured control over the multimillion-rand Facets property in Cape Town’s Century City. The curators were granted an order by Cape High Court Judge Daniel Dlodlo putting the property, registered in the name of the Brown family trust, into their hands.
A father of four who bashed in his wife’s head with a hammer and then claimed it was her own fault for threatening to leave him lost his appeal in the Pretoria High Court on Monday. Judges Lettie Malopa and Brian Southwood dismissed an appeal by Phillimon Thole (36) of Jouberton against his conviction and sentence.
The entire banking industry has been working for over a year to ”seamlessly and effectively” implement the new National Credit Act, the Banking Association of South Africa said on Monday. In a statement, the association said it fully supported the Act, which comes to in effect on July 1.
In the build-up to the World Economic Forum (WEF) taking place in Cape Town in June, a new initiative aims to get Africans interacting with the world’s leaders about the future of their continent. Using technology as a tool, the WEF’s ”Africa Conversation” hopes to engage with the continent’s population.
South African Post Office (Sapo) chief executive Khutso Mampeule was ”removed” from the Sapo board on Monday by Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri. Following a special Sapo shareholders’ meeting earlier on Monday, the minister ”resolved to remove Mr Mampeule from the [Sapo] board”, her ministry said in a statement.
A 37-year-old Malawian man alleged to be a serial rapist appeared in the Alberton Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Gauteng police said. Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said the man was charged with rape and robbery involving more than 10 victims in the Ekurhuleni area. He had his case postponed to May 28 for further investigation.
Passengers on board the train that left Johannesburg for Cape Town on Monday will want to wrap up warmly, especially those in third class. When it passes through the Karoo railway junction town of De Aar in the small hours at about 11pm, the mercury will be on its way to plummeting down to minus eight degrees Celsius.
The suspense around the future of Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez was finally ended on Monday with the announcement the player would be leaving the club at the end of June. He will be teaming up with former Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp at German Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld.
Trade relations between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China were the subject of discussions in Beijing on Monday between Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and her Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi. ”The ministers discussed the strengthening of political and economic relations,” South Africa’s Department of Foreign Affairs said.
The Home Affairs Department has introduced a new ”track-and-trace” system to help fight corruption and speed up delivery of identity documents (ID). ”The new system allows us to know who has done what every step of the way, whether they have acted efficiently and properly,” Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Monday.
Two men alleged to have been involved in concocting the recent ”assassination plot” against African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma lambasted the City Press newspaper on Monday. Barnabas Xulu and Peete Mbambo read out a statement saying the City Press article was ”riddled with inaccuracies and untruths”.
Springbok coach Jake White said on Monday that the Luke Watson issue had had no influence on the Springbok squad, who are preparing for the first Test against England in Bloemfontein on Saturday. ”It’s not a question as to how Luke Watson fits in, it’s more important that we’re coming out of a positive Super 14 and all that energy is focused there now,” said White.
The government is doing everything in its power to get rid of the taxi industry to pave the way for other modes of transport, the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) said on Monday. Reacting to plans for a R12-billion monorail between Johannesburg and Soweto, NTA secretary general Alpheus Mlalazi said: ”The government did not consult with the taxi industry about this.”
More than 800 people were forced to evacuate their homes by the stormy weather that hit Cape Town on the weekend, the city’s disaster risk management centre said on Monday. And the South African Weather Service said more bad weather is on the way. Forecaster Stella Nake said Cape Town should expect another cold front on Thursday.
Eastern Platinum (Eastplats) listed on the JSE on Monday morning under the "Resources, Mining-Platinum" sector. "The JSE listing will enable us to access South Africa’s capital market and increase our investor base in an environment in which the PGM sector is well understood," said Eastplats president and CEO Ian Rozier.
The Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors has raised the alarm over a shortage of coloured auditors in South Africa, as currently only 38 in the country are registered to sign audit opinions, it was reported on Monday. Kariem Hoosain, Irba CEO, says that the figure is "worrying".
An enormous gulf exists between the levels of service provided by different provinces, a Democratic Alliance (DA) study has found. ”If you are poor and reliant on the state for health, education and housing, the best provinces to live in are the Western Cape, Gauteng and the North West,” DA spokesperson Willem Doman said on Monday.
The Independent Democrats (ID) in Cape Town called an emergency caucus on Monday to discuss the impact of the draft budget on the 406 739 households across the city. A report reveals that 52% of households would experience increases between 15% and 50% in rates and tariffs, the ID said.
Flanker Luke Watson kept his place on Sunday in a revised Springbok squad for the first Test against England on May 26 while Bulls flyhalf Derick Hougaard was added as cover for the injured Andre Pretorius. Hougaard’s inclusion came an hour after officials released details of a squad that had been reduced from 46 to 37 players. The addition of Hougaard made it 38.
Silver Stars beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in an exciting Castle Premier Soccer League clash at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday. The result means that Chiefs will not participate in the SAA Supa8 tournament, a cup they won last year. Hareiapha ”Simba” Marumo headed in a Tshepo Ramokala cross to put Stars in the lead just on the half-hour mark.
As a schoolmaster lecturing benevolently to wayward students on how to behave in the classroom, Victor Hlungwane would probably receive full marks. As a soccer referee who is supposed to give decisions in accordance with the rules of the game, his performance during the goalless draw between Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United on Sunday deserved no more than a fail mark.