The African National Congress ”hijacked” the funeral of Adelaide Tambo, wife of former ANC president Oliver Tambo, and therefore should pay the funeral costs, an Ekurhuleni opposition councillor said on Tuesday. The Ekurhuleni metropolitan council is expected to pay more than R2,2-million in funeral costs.
The curtain comes down on the South African athletics season this weekend when about 1 500 junior and youth athletes converge in Pretoria for the South African Junior and Youth Championships. Much is at stake. For some it provides an opportunity to qualify for the IAAF World Youth Championships.
A keenly contested final of the women’s 400m freestyle is expected on the opening night of the 2007 Telkom South African National Aquatic Championships at the Kings Park Aquatic Centre in Durban on Tuesday following the heats on the first morning of the six-day event.
There is plenty of hope for the future of the fishing industry under certain conditions, despite suggestions to the contrary, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Tuesday. He was speaking at the opening of the I&J Fin-Fish Hatchery at Gansbaai.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has appealed against the Department of Correctional Services’ refusal to allow the party access to Tony Yengeni’s parole or correctional supervision conditions. Under access-to-information laws, the department now has 10 working days to reply, either by granting the request or refusing it for a second time.
Trade union Solidarity on Tuesday called on the Communications Department to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sudden resignation of Telkom’s CEO, Papi Molotsane. The organisation believes that government interference in the management of Telkom could have prompted Molotsane to quit.
President Thabo Mbeki will meet members of the Johannesburg public at a two-day imbizo (meeting) this weekend. His programme includes a community imbizo at the Safa-Simba Stadium in Klipspruit on Saturday afternoon, where residents will discuss their concerns directly with him, a Gauteng government spokesperson said.
Africa needs to become more self-reliant to improve the health of its people, the chairperson of the African Union’s commission said in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Professor Alpha Konare said African countries have to make sure they get better prices for their raw materials and stop the wars that prevent health strategies from being carried out.
The Orlando Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday refused to soften bail conditions for five people accused of stealing jewellery valued at R4-million from the home of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. The five made a brief court appearance. Four of those in the dock were family members of the struggle stalwart.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) wants the government to investigate ”properly” the circumstances around the escape of a lion from a game farm near Winburg in the Free State, it said on Tuesday. It said it was relieved to hear the escaped animal was finally shot at by a local farmer.
Police investigating the recent discovery of bones on a beach at the KwaZulu-Natal holiday resort of Umhloti are expecting to receive an ”interim analysis” from the state pathologist this week. The bones were discovered protruding from the sand on March 21 after the KwaZulu-Natal coast had been pounded by heavy surf.
South African consumer confidence jumped to a record high in the first quarter of 2007, with significantly more consumers expecting the economy and their household finances to improve, a survey showed on Tuesday. The confidence index compiled by First National Bank and the Bureau for Economic Research increased to +23 in the first quarter of this year.
The fraud and corruption case of former Scorpions boss Geoffrey Ledwaba was postponed for the last time in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday. The postponement was to allow Ledwaba to sort out his legal representation matters as he wanted the National Prosecuting Authority to pay for his legal fees.
The number of people killed on South African roads over the Easter weekend has risen to 181, the Department of Transport said on Monday night. Of the 181 people who lost their lives in 143 crashes, 41 were drivers, 71 were passengers and 69 were pedestrians, spokesperson Ntau Letebele said.
Thirteen people were arrested following a two-week investigation into bouncer violence and drug trafficking in Gauteng clubs. Superintendent Eugene Opperman said two illegal drug factories were also busted. Of the 13 people arrested, six also face charges relating to manufacturing tik (methamphetamine).
A South African murdered in Pakistan has been identified as Kenneth Smith (26), the country’s 10km open-water swimming champion, Beeld reported on Tuesday. Smith’s family said they were not aware that he was in Pakistan. He had said he was going to Dubai to look for a job.
A total of 139 people were killed on South African roads during the Easter weekend, the Department of Transport said on Monday. Although that is fewer than the 232 killed in 2006, departmental spokesperson Ntau Letebele said it is too early to speculate, as many people are still on the roads.
The Democratic Alliance on Monday called for a secret Armscor forensic report to be discussed in Parliament. The report exposes evidence that the country’s arms-control permit system is inadequate, said the opposition party’s defence spokesperson, Andries Botha.
The R6,5-million trip for elite police and defence force members to the Caribbean to provide added security at the Cricket World Cup was disgraceful, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday. ”The inference here is that members of the special task force plus specialists … will not be missed in this country,” it said.
Orlando Pirates were lucky to collect valuable points when they beat Jomo Cosmos in a fast and entertaining game played before a capacity crowd in a Castle Premiership at Durban’s Absa Stadium on Sunday night. Both sides were below-strength, with Pirates missing Benedict ”Tso” Vilakazi, Innocent Mdledle and Jabu Mahlangu.
Failure to disclose information on investigations into allegations of bribery against Shamin ”Chippy” Shaik by the Public Protector reflects badly on the country’s reputation, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Sunday. Shaik was allegedly paid a -million bribe by one of the arms-deal bidding companies.
Not only should the emission of greenhouse gases be prevented, but adapting to climate change must also be prioritised, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Sunday in reaction to findings released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change over the weekend.
Requests by the Tsitsikamma community to fish in marine sites are being considered, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism said on Sunday. As the site is a marine protected area, there may be a set of conditions applicable to the Tsitsikamma community before approval is granted.
The release of a Chinese national after about R4-million in pirated CDs and DVDs were found at his Cyrildene home was a travesty, the South African Federation against Copyright Theft said on Sunday. Zhouren Chen’s case was removed from the roll by a senior prosecutor at the Johannesburg Specialised Crimes Court due to police deviations from procedure.
The Department of Foreign Affairs was on Sunday looking into reports that the body of a murdered South African national had been found in a plastic bag on the outskirts of the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, it said. Local police identified the man as Kenneth Scott Andrew, a resident of Durban.
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African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma called for people to go back to their values at an Easter Sunday service in the eastern Free State, media reports said. Zuma called on churches to make sure that the laws that govern are not in contradiction with the laws of God.
On a balmy, autumn afternoon at Loftus on Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs hit rock bottom against a sprightly Black Leopards and plunged to a 2-0 defeat. In other matches, Golden Arrows drew 1-1 with Supersport United and Amazulu appeared to be coming out of their slump when they scored a well-deserved 3-1 win over Benoni Premier United.
Moroka Swallows improved their prospects of gaining the Premier Soccer League’s runners-up position and qualification for next year’s CAF Champions League after outplaying a strangely listless Bloemfontein Celtic at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Stormers effectively ended the Lions’ hopes of qualifying for the semifinals of the Super 14 when they trounced them 30-8 in a one-sided match at Newlands on Saturday. Kobus van der Merwe’s team carried a deserved 13-3 lead into the break after dominating the early exchanges and growing stronger throughout the half.
Playing in front of an empty stadium, the standard of soccer was poor in a Premier Soccer League match between Ajax Cape Town and Silver Stars at the Athlone Stadium on Saturday. Ajax dropped to fourth place on the log after they were beaten 2-1 by Silver Stars
The lush vineyards, rare plant species and breathtaking scenery that have turned the Cape peninsula into a tourist magnet are in danger of withering away within decades if the doomsday predictions of a growing number of scientists — including a major new United Nations report released on Friday — come true.
A deaf-and-dumb woman was raped, allegedly by two men, in Butterworth on Saturday morning, Eastern Cape police said. The 20-year-old grade-11 pupil from Gauteng, on holiday in the area, was accompanied to her family’s house following a party in the Bungeni informal settlement, said Captain Jackson Manatha.