No image available
/ 19 February 2007
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel should provide a social democratic budget on Wednesday aimed at the comprehensive upliftment of the poor, says Independent Democrats finance spokesperson Avril Harding. Harding said on Monday that a key element should be the reducing of the state pension age to 60 for both men and women.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
Hunger and desperation are driving pupils to suicide at a school near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, the media reported on Monday. Upper Corana High School principal Suthukazi Lujabe said that most pupils walk long distances on empty stomachs to get to school. She said one or two pupils had killed themselves because of hunger every year from 2001 to 2006.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
Gauteng has more jobs and is becoming a better place to live, Premier Mbhazima Shilowa said on Monday. ”A better Gauteng is in the making,” he told the opening of the provincial legislature. By March last year there were about 3,3-million jobs, an increase of 426 000 jobs in four years, said Shilowa, promising to make even more of an effort in this regard.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
The burglary of the Durban home of KwaZulu-Natal provincial minister of safety and security Bheki Cele is ”proof that crime is out of control”, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) said on Monday. Reacting to the news of the burglary, KwaZulu-Natal IFP leader Lionel Mtshali said: ”If the African National Congress’s [ANC] government needed proof that crime is out of control in South Africa, they got it.”
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
Bold corporate-tax cuts and a job-creation programme are among the main features of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) alternative budget 2007/8, which was unveiled on Monday. Released each year ahead of the actual budget, the DA says its version is ”geared towards boosting economic growth, creating jobs and turning South Africa into a true, open society”.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
The growth of shopping malls in townships will offer residents lower prices but could hurt small retailers, according to a University of South Africa study released on Monday. The recent opening of a shopping mall in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, resulted in 75% of businesses less than 1km, or 15 minutes walking time away, reporting a decline in profits.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
The much-publicised decision to play a home Premier Soccer League game against Kaizer Chiefs at the compact Bidvest Stadium before a tickets-only 5Â 000 crowd on Sunday afternoon proved a success for Wits University — the only problem was losing 1-0 in the process.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
Jonty Rhodes, once hailed as the world’s best fielder, could be South Africa’s secret weapon at the Cricket World Cup. Since being appointed fielding coach six months ago, Rhodes has lifted the standard of South Africa’s fielding to exceptional heights.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
The strike at the Modikwa Platinum mine has been suspended, the National Union of Mineworkers said on Sunday. About 3 000 miners have been on strike in opposition to the continuous operations policy at the mine. The strike cost the mine an estimated R5-million per day in revenue and began on January 26.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
AmaZulu put together their best performance to beat Silver Stars 1-0 at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Last Wednesday AmaZulu fired a number of experienced players including international goalkeeper Komoka Camara (from Guinea) and captain Siphiwe Sgwili because of ill discipline.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
There was nothing wrong with its Progressive Business Forum (PBF), the African National Congress (ANC) said in reaction to claims that it was selling access to senior public representatives and public servants. ”The information provided to PBF members is public information,” said ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama.
No image available
/ 19 February 2007
The embattled principal of the Ithuteng Trust School in Kliptown, Jackie Maarohanye, and 72 other people, have been arrested after a journalist was assaulted and held hostage. Reporter Vusi Ndlovu and driver Mabu Nkadimeng from the Sowetan newspaper were held hostage on Saturday for seven hours.
No image available
/ 18 February 2007
Veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock expressed confidence that South Africa could bring home the World Cup as the Proteas took over from Australia on Sunday at the top of the one-day rankings. ”I believe there is something special about this one. And it will be extra special for me because it will be my last one,” he said.
No image available
/ 18 February 2007
Defending Premier League champions and log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns beat Moroka Swallows 1-0 at a rain-swept Loftus stadium on Saturday night. It was the Brazilians’ seventh successive victory in PSL and CAF Champions League matches in which they have scored 18 times and conceded a mere four goals.
No image available
/ 18 February 2007
A prisoner is taking Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour to court after an offer to reduce his sentence failed to materialise, media reports said on Sunday. Balfour allegedly offered Xolani Mahambehlala a sentence remission after he filmed acts of corruption by prison warders in the Eastern and Western Cape.
No image available
/ 18 February 2007
A reporter and driver from the Sowetan newspaper were on Saturday afternoon held hostage for six hours by a group of people at the school of the embattled Jackie Maarohanye — the principal of the Ithutheng Trust school in Kliptown. Maarohanye handed herself over to the police in October last year for cases including public violence and malicious damage to property.
No image available
/ 18 February 2007
The African National Congress was selling ”face time” with Cabinet ministers and government officials in an effort to raise funds, the Sunday Times reported. The scheme already had 2Â 000 paid-up members and promised businesses knowledge of ”upcoming government decisions”.
No image available
/ 17 February 2007
Wing Cameron Shepherd scored 25 points to inspire the Western Force to a 30-27 Super 14 victory over the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday. Shepherd scored two tries, three conversions and three penalties and prop Gareth Hardy ran in the Perth-based team’s third try at Loftus Versfeld.
No image available
/ 17 February 2007
Two British tourists were killed after being knocked down by a speeding car at an intersection near Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Saturday. Officials said the driver had apparently been speeding in the 60kph zone.
No image available
/ 17 February 2007
South Africa’s Western Stormers recorded their first win of the Super 14 when they downed the Waikato Chiefs 21-16 in Cape Town on Friday. The home side, who led 14-13 at the break, outscored their opponents two tries to one. While it was a scrappy encounter, the Stormers were much-improved from their first two outings.
No image available
/ 17 February 2007
A development which includes both upmarket and social housing is to be built in Fairland in north-western Johannesburg. The project involves 187 new homes on 9,3 hectares of council-owned land. ”This is a ground-breaking development,” said project manager for the City of Johannesburg Property Company, Alan Dinnie.
No image available
/ 17 February 2007
Two metro police officers who allegedly used a cellphone to film an orgy with a 16-year-old Eldorado Park schoolgirl have been fired, media reports said on Friday. Director of operations David Thembe said Vaughn Dooms (22) and Kester de Vos (24) were dismissed on Wednesday for bringing the City of Johannesburg into disrepute.
No image available
/ 17 February 2007
Seven striking miners were arrested and some were injured during a violent protest at the Impala Platinum (Implats) mine in Rustenburg on Friday, police said. The miners blocked the roads leaving the NR6 and NR8 hostels and threw stones at vehicles, Captain Elsabe Augoustides said.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
A Durban ward councillor was gunned down on Friday afternoon as he arrived at a house he was apparently selling in the Merebank suburb, paramedics said. Rajah Naidoo, the councillor for ward 68 in the eThekwini municipality, died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
The controversial executive chairperson of Fidentia, J Arthur W Brown, studied at the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) but did not graduate, university authorities said on Friday. Earlier, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, which incorporates the former UPE, had said it had no record of Brown ever studying there.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
How do you check that the Gautrain is being built properly? One step at a time, and there are more than 1Â 000 steps. A team from Arup SA, which was appointed as the independent certifier for the R25-billion Gautrain rapid rail-link project, is checking whether the Gautrain is designed and built properly.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
Department of Home Affairs officials may have acted ”suspiciously” when they deported Pakistani immigrant Khalid Rashid, but there was no sufficient proof that they knew he was wanted for questioning in connection with alleged acts of terror when he was handed to Pakistani authorities, three high court judges have ruled.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
Miners at the Blyvooruitzicht mine near Carletonville who have been on strike for three days will return to work on Sunday pending negotiations with mine management, the National Union of Mineworkers said on Friday. Meanwhile, DRDGold said on Friday it has started disciplinary action against the striking miners.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
The KwaZulu-Natal education department is searching for two mobile libraries stolen from its offices in Durban on Friday. ”The mobile buses are a solution to schools that do not have libraries. By stealing these buses, thousands of children have been robbed,” said a departmental spokesperson.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
A couple suspected of helping two alleged members of the Boeremag will go on trial in the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo in July, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday. They face charges under the Protection of Democracy against Terrorism and Related Activities Act.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) has chosen an interim leadership core in an effort to rebuild the organisation and prepare for a properly constituted national conference in September. The organisation made the announcement at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Friday.
No image available
/ 16 February 2007
Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool has committed R1-billion to boost security and policing in the province, the Cape Argus reported on Friday. In his state of the province address in the provincial legislature, Rasool said the money would go to staff, vehicles, equipment and volunteers to beef up police capabilities.