Nelson Mandela’s former lawyer Ismail Ayob said that he agreed to repay money to the Nelson Mandela Trust because he does not have the money for a court battle, weekend newspapers reported. The Saturday Star quoted him as saying: ”I don’t have a war chest of R20-million of other people’s money to fight an action forever.”
Two major supermarkets have withdrawn six products contaminated with the cancer-causing Sudan chemical dyes, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. The newspaper had laboratory tests carried out on spices bought randomly from supermarkets countrywide.
African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma visited the relatives of a florist murdered on a farm in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, on Saturday, after reading about the family’s tragedy. The South African Broadcasting Corporation quoted Zuma as saying the issue of crime in the country was serious.
The Sharks left four probable tries on the park at the Absa Stadium on Saturday and as a consequence nearly paid the penalty by becoming the only South African side to lose their Super 14 rugby match this weekend.
Affirmative-action policies will never be ruled out in South Africa, the Labour Minister said on Saturday. ”Contrary to Parliamentary calls by opposition Democratic Alliance, affirmative action and current employment equity legislation would never be repealed but would be intensified instead,” said Membathisi Mdladlana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) needs a courageous leader who will be able to challenge and engage the African National Congress when it errs, DA Eastern Cape leader Athol Trollip said on Sunday. He said this will create a vigorous, rational and open-debate in a society that sought solutions to problems faced by the country.
Benoni Premier United held Maritzburg United to a one-all draw in a Castle Premiership match at the Harry Gwala stadium on Friday night. The visitors have themselves to blame for the draw, having dominated for the better part of the game.
The Cape Cobras thrashed the defending champions, the Diamond Eagles, by seven wickets, with Henry Davids and Benji Hector hammering the bowling in a record stand, in their Standard Bank Pro20 match in Kimberley on Friday. Davids and Hector unleashed a feast of free-scoring as their stand of 154 off 96 balls carried the Cobras to a target of 188 with an over to spare.
The new minimum wage of R1 090 a month for farm workers is welcome but inadequate, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Saturday. ”The challenge now, as always, is to force the employers to comply, the trade union said.
Every major enterprise in South Africa would learn in the next few years that it had not invested enough for the growth the country, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin warned on Friday evening. ”The public-sector investment alone in the next five years is R420-billion. This has never ever been attempted in South Africa before,” he said.
South Africa will use its presidency of the United Nations Security Council in March to push for the organisation to pay for African Union peacekeeping operations. The Security Council has agreed on a so-called hybrid force in Sudan which will comprise African Union peacekeepers supported technically and financially by the UN.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has paid tribute to Ghana, which celebrates 50 years of independence (from Britain) on March 6. In his internet column, ANC Today, Mbeki noted that 50 years ago, as Ghana prepared to accede to independence, the all-white Parliament in South Africa was engaged in an intense and protracted debate of the Flags Amendment Bill.
Fidentia’s collapse had further repercussions in the Cape High Court on Friday when two closely linked companies were also placed under curatorship. The court granted a provisional order placing Ovation Global Investment Services and Ovation Global Investment Nominees under curatorship.
A group of men armed with rifles and pistols robbed a Coin security van collecting money at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) head offices in Auckland Park on Friday, Johannesburg police said. Police spokesperson Captain Bheki Mavundla said a white Ford Bantam bakkie was seen pulling up behind the security van at 11.15am inside the public broadcaster’s complex.
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South Africa have a reputation in World Cups of being unable to finish things off. In 1999, a last-ball run out against Australia left the Proteas with a tie when they needed a win to advance to the final. In 2003, hosts South Africa didn’t read the Duckworth-Lewis figures properly, tied the game against Sri Lanka and failed to progress to the second round.
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has challenged the South African business sector to partner the government in improving the performance of other African economies through meaningful investment. He said South African business needed to be more active in issues of African development.
A three-day pan-African conference adopted the Ekurhuleni Declaration on Fighting Corruption at a venue near OR Tambo International Airport, east of Johannesburg, on Friday. The declaration will contribute to Africa’s input to the Global Forum V, scheduled to be held in Sandton next month.
A small blackboard and a pointed archaeologist’s trowel lay on top of pauper’s grave number 5 910 in Mamelodi West cemetery where Looksmart Ngudle’s family hoped to find his remains. Chalked on the blackboard was ”Mam-07/001 (5910) 01-03-2007”, for the forensic anthropology team’s photographic record of the exhumation.
Transport Minister Jeff Radebe avoided contentious issues during his first public event as acting health minister on Friday. Opening the newly built Pretoria Academic Hospital, Radebe focused on programmes to improve hospital infrastructure around the country.
South Africa, now in its first ”teenager” year, has to abide by the tried and tested values in the Constitution to weather the turbulent years ahead successfully, former president FW de Klerk said on Friday. Addressing a conference at Sun City, he said 2007 might well determine the future for the next 30 or 40 years.
The leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) in Khutsong denied claims on Friday by the Khutsong Anti-North West Forum that the party was divided about the incorporation of the town into the North West. ”As the ANC we are united in Merafong about the decision to support the government’s initiative,” said the party’s sub-regional secretary, Sanele Caiya.
South Africa’s retail petrol prices will rise by 24 cents a litre from March 7 after a spike in global fuel prices over the past month, the government said on Friday. The retail price of 95 unleaded petrol in Gauteng province, which includes the financial hub of Johannesburg, will increase to R5,99 a litre, the Department of Minerals and Energy said in a statement.
Political connectivity with the African National Congress (ANC) appears to be ruling the roost regarding government deals and contracts, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon argued on Friday. He also said the potential damage that corruption could do was evidenced in a survey by foreign investors, which ”should be sending shock waves through the halls of power”.
A new minimum wage has been set for farm workers effective from March 1, the Department of Labour said on Friday. ”They [farm workers] are now entitled to a minimum wage of R1 041 per month,” department spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi said in a statement.
The Khutsong Anti-North West Forum on Friday called on African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma to mediate in the ongoing violent protests that have rocked the Merafong Community near Carletonville, west of Johannesburg. ”This is an ANC vs ANC fight,” said the forum’s organiser, Paul Ncawane.
South Africa soccer coach Carlos Alberto Parreira expects in-form star striker Benni McCarthy to end his long boycott of the national team after finding his feet in the English Premiership. McCarthy, who has refused to play for Bafana Bafana since 2005, took his tally for new club Blackburn Rovers to 16 when he scored an outstanding winner against Arsenal in the FA Cup in midweek.
Broadcaster John Perlman finished his stint as SAfm current-affairs talk-show host on Friday after a run-in with his bosses over the blacklisting controversy last year. ”Thanks very much for having me, it has been a fabulous nine years,” was how Perlman ended his last show.
A Pretoria High Court judge arrested on drunken-driving charges has not returned to work, 702 Talk Radio reported on Friday. Nkola Motata took a leave of absence over February after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol last month. He crashed his car into a garden wall in Hurlingham in northern Johannesburg.
South African residential house-price growth, which hit more than 30% year-on-year in 2004, should continue moderating as higher interest rates dampen consumer demand, a survey showed on Thursday. The Standard Bank monthly property gauge indicated house-price growth rose to 8,4% year-on-year in February from 6,9% in January.
The state is expected to file papers in the Durban High Court on Friday in its attempt to obtain documents from Mauritius relating to accusations of corruption against Jacob Zuma. The documents include the 2000 diary of former French arms manufacturer Thint chief executive Alain Thetard.
The Durban heat was starting to take its toll: A1 Grand Prix crew and drivers were wandering around the pit checking out opponents’ machinery with the sort of barely disguised homoerotic longing last seen in Ben-Hur; where once there would have been the clinging stench of horse shit, petrol fumes filled the air of this charioteering recreation of ancient Rome.
Transport Minister Jeff Radebe will appear in public as acting health minister for the first time at the opening of the newly built Pretoria Academic hospital on Friday. On Thursday he was briefed on Health Department programmes at a meeting with his deputy, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, and managers from the department, according to a statement.