South Africans have much to celebrate on the country’s 13th Freedom Day, but they face the same number of real threats to hard-won liberty, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said. ”It is a sad irony that after 13 years there are 13 very real threats to our hard-won liberty, and we need to have a frank and honest discussion about them.”
Motorists caught speeding because they are late for meetings will face the full wrath of the law, KwaZulu-Natal traffic authorities said on Friday. Asked whether motorists who are caught speeding will be able to have their fines quashed, eThekwini metro police spokesperson John-Thomas Tyala said: ”We can’t allow that. The Act [National Road Traffic Act] does not allow for that.”
![]()
Beaten semifinalists South Africa’s World Cup performance exposed weaknesses, including a lack of mental strength, which needs to be addressed urgently, the national cricket board said on Thursday. In a statement on its website, Cricket SA congratulated Sri Lanka and Australia for reaching the finals of the tournament in the Caribbean.
Ninety-five percent of South Africans are proud to be South African, a survey by the University of Stellenbosch found. ”The overwhelming majority of South Africans are proud to be South African, prefer democracy as a governing system and believe that our democratic system will develop positively in the future,” said spokesperson Mari Harris on Thursday.
The Witness newspaper on Thursday said it would not hand over the details of a motorist who used his cellphone to provide the newspaper with video footage of KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sbu Ndebele’s convoy doing 160km/h. Witness deputy editor Yves Vanderhaeghen said: ”We have spoken to our lawyers. Our lawyers have advised them that we cannot do this.”
Cape Town’s disaster risk-management centre is on full alert following a severe weather warning from the South African Weather Service on Thursday. All city departments that may be required to respond to flooding, storm damage to infrastructure or disruption of services will maintain adequate standby levels during this period, the council said in a statement.
A Greytown farm worker was convicted of murder on Thursday after telling the Pietermaritzburg High Court that he hacked two woman co-workers to death with an axe last week, robbed them then burnt their bodies. Acting Judge Jerome Mnguni convicted Siphiwe Ndlovu (35) of murder and aggravated robbery.
There are signs that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is mulling a policy shift that could tilt Africa’s booming economic powerhouse to the left after more than a decade on a centrist course. The ANC is under growing pressure from trade-union allies and its own rank-and-file to make income redistribution and nationalisation the lynchpins of its programme.
A man accused of killing his former gay partner with an axe pleaded temporary incapacity in the Cape High Court on Thursday while the prosecution argued that it was a premeditated murder. Judge Daniel Dlodlo and two assessors heard closing argument in the trial of BSc graduate Michael van Zyl, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering estate agent Andre Weitz.
Businesswoman Danisa Baloyi is still to repay an R8-million loan she received from financial services company Fidentia Holdings, Moneyweb reported on Thursday. It said Fidentia curator Dines Gihwala confirmed on Wednesday that Baloyi had not repaid the loan yet.
The African National Congress Youth League and trade union Solidarity’s youth wing failed to agree on Thursday on whether youth should be exempt from affirmative action. The two youth organisations held talks in Johannesburg to discuss how affirmative action could benefit different racial groups.
The North West education department ventured into Khutsong on Thursday under police protection to act against teachers supporting ongoing class boycotts. A spokesperson said three teachers and a principal were notified of their suspension, while 10 other teachers from various schools were asked to explain their actions.
Demand for credit by South Africa’s private sector should brake in March in a delayed reaction to last year’s interest-rate increases, easing pressure on the central bank to resume raising interest rates. The country’s trade deficit should, however, widen to R4,1-billion after narrowing to R2,7-billion in February.
The African National Congress (ANC) membership should reject a key draft document that will be presented to the party’s national conference in December, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Thursday. The draft Strategy and Tactics document will be discussed at the ANC policy conference in June ahead of the December conference.
The Cape High Court ruled on Thursday afternoon that it would accept the late filing of an affidavit by Matthias Rath in opposition to an application by the Treatment Action Campaign. The affidavit, which stretches with annexures to 2 709 pages in nine lever-arch files, was lodged about 13 months after deadline.
South Africa’s strong economic growth of the past decade masks a series of ”major structural weaknesses” needing urgent attention if this is to continue, warned Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon on Thursday.
The first assets of financial services company Fidentia Holdings will be auctioned off in Cape Town next month, the media reported on Thursday. It said the auction on May 19 would be held at 1 Waterford Place, Century City. Fidentia curators had appointed Auction Alliance as the auctioneer.
South Africa’s newest — and richest — journalism prize was on Thursday awarded to two investigative reporters of Beeld newspaper. Mail & Guardian and Sunday Tribune investigative teams share the second prize of R100Â 000.
![]()
Now is not the time to take hasty decisions that might be regretted later — that’s how Haroon Lorgat, convenor of selectors, responded on Thursday to South Africa’s disappointing exit from the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. South Africa lost by seven wickets to Australia in the semifinal in St Lucia on Wednesday after being bowled out for 149.
A protester bit a police officer in clashes during service-delivery protests north-west of Pretoria the day before Freedom Day, said Pretoria police. Police used rubber bullets to disperse crowds in Soshanguve, Winterveldt and Hammanskraal north-west of the city, but the protesters later regrouped.
The man who held eight people hostage and wounded a police officer at the Pretoria News building will appear in court on Monday on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and possession of an unlicensed firearm, police said.
Cellphone operator Cell C scored a 19% rise in revenue for the year ended December 31 2006, the company announced on Thursday. It said gross profit increased by R352-million — or 18% — to R2,3-billion, and subscriber numbers kept on rising.
The process of identifying potential candidates to lead the African National Congress (ANC) has officially begun within the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). ”The discussion is being declared open,” said Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Organisers of the Comrades Marathon have fielded a string of complaints as a result of the decision to hold the country’s premier marathon on a Sunday, the Mercury reported on Thursday. According to the newspaper, more than 100 churches on the route will be affected by road closures as a result of the marathon.
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has come out in support of a unified public service across all three spheres of government. On Thursday, the final day of its conference in Midrand, Salga adopted a resolution in favour of a single public service for national, provincial and municipal government.
South Africa’s factory-gate inflation jumped to 10,3% year-on-year in March, official data showed on Thursday, above forecasts and raising the risk that interest rates may have to rise again. Producer inflation climbed from 9,5% in February to its highest level in almost four years, largely due to higher fuel costs, Statistics South Africa said.
South African platinum miner Wesizwe Platinum has agreed to buy a 26% stake in the Western Bushveld joint venture for R650-million, it said on Wednesday. Wesizwe, the investment vehicle for South Africa’s Bakubung Ba-Ratheo Tribe, said it would buy African Wide Mineral Prospecting and Exploration by issuing new shares.
Politicians running local governments across the country have been read the riot act by Finance Minster Trevor Manuel, who says that the argument about capacity constraints 13 years into democracy in South Africa is wearing thin. South Africa’s councillors have been urged to spend the available resources of local government wisely.
An aggressive bull buffalo killed a man and hampered the retrieval of his body on a farm near Bethlehem on Wednesday, Free State police said. Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said that Sam Shongwe (26) was returning from a pit latrine to a fenced area with two homes when the buffalo attacked at about 10am.
”They haven’t come to South Africa for a soccer game in 100 years,” said Danny Jordaan at a media briefing of the newly formed South African Football Association (Safa) commercial wing on Wednesday, ”but you can be sure world champions Italy will now be in the queue clamouring to come here before the 2010 tournament.”
Silver Stars beat new league champions Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 in a Premiership game played at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Stadium on Wednesday night. The home team’s industrial midfielder Dingaan Masanabo broke the deadlock in the 38th minute with a superb header from a corner kick taken by Tshepo Ramokala.
The listless 1-0 defeat Supersport United suffered against an improving Black Leopards at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night before little more than 100 spectators left the M-Net club in danger of finishing out of the eight top places in the log and not qualifying for next season’s Supa 8 tournament.