South Africa

Zimbabwe’s refusal to renew the passport of newspaper owner Trevor Ncube — publisher of the Standard and the Zimbabwe Independent in that country and the Mail & Guardian in South Africa — is an assault on his freedom of expression and movement, the Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum said on Thursday.

The murder case against the widow of Avhatakali Netshisaulu (31) the son of City Press editor Mathatha Tsedu, and five men was postponed on Thursday in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court. It was the first time all six co-accused had appeared in the dock together.

A freak storm, accompanied by gale-force winds, sent the entire row of wooden billboards on the east side of the Ellis Park pitch hurtling crazily through the air during the opening minutes of a Premier Soccer League (PSL) game between Orlando Pirates and Black Leopards on Wednesday.

A 34-year-old truck driver was fined on Wednesday for illegally dumping rotten chickens at a railway train station near Tembisa, Ekurhuleni metro police said. Inspector Mveli Nhlapo said the man received a fine of R1 500 and his truck was impounded.

It was still not clear whether Kebble murder-accused Glenn Agliotti would be charged with involvement in a multimillion-rand drugs syndicate, media reports said on Thursday. His name was expected to be added to the charge sheet ahead of the appearance in court on Thursday of Stephanos Paparas (45).

Eskom will conduct load-shedding ”equitably” throughout the country, the power utility said on Thursday. The parastatal’s regional centres would have information on which areas would be affected and at which times. Eskom has not yet been able to establish the reason for an unexpected huge surge in demand, which came while maintenance was being carried out at power stations. ”There is a national alert,” said Spokesperson Tony Stott.

Racial tension is running high in Greytown after the murder of the town’s acting municipal manager Sydney Sikhakhane, media reports said on Thursday. The alleged killers were members of local Muslim community, and Muslim businessmen had received threats from other residents.

A British opposition party has called on Prime Minister Tony Blair to come clean over his involvement in a controversial R30-billion arms deal between the South African government and British arms manufacturers BAE, media reports said on Thursday.

South Africa has the most Aids orphans in the world, according to a United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) report released this week. The report focused on data from 2005. It found that a total of 15,2-million children around the world had lost at least one parent to HIV/Aids. Most of these children were in sub-Saharan Africa — and 1,2-million were in SA.

Johannesburg’s preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup are on time and within budget, mayor Amos Masondo said on Wednesday. ”Let me assure you that our plans and preparations are on track, on time and within budget,” he told a sod-turning ceremony at the FNB Stadium.

Teenagers do not deliberately fall pregnant, families do not ”farm” children and sick people do not refuse to take medicine just to get social grants, the Department of Social Development said on Wednesday. ”The provision of social assistance by the state does not promote teenage pregnancies and other alleged perverse incentives,” it said.

A Limpopo farmer has been fined R10 000 or two-and-a-half years’ in prison for shooting dead a boy he mistook for a dog, media reports said on Wednesday. Found guilty of culpable homicide, Marchel Nel (39) was fined R20 000 or five years’ in prison by the Thabazimbi Magistrate’s Court on Monday.