South Africa

Four South African men abducted in Iraq at the weekend are still missing, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. They are all employed by Safenet Security Services, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands and contracted to the United States Department of Defence.

The world spent -billion battling disasters in 2005 but this was unevenly distributed, leaving many without help, the Red Cross Society said in Johannesburg on Thursday. ”A large chunk of this aid was spread unevenly,” said the chairperson of the national standing committee for disaster management of the South African Red Cross Society, Prince Monare.

Much of Johannesburg was plunged into darkness on Thursday afternoon because of a power failure. The electricity went down shortly before 1pm when supply to the Fordsburg substation was lost, said Johannesburg City Power spokesperson Louis Pieterse. It is one of the city’s main intake substations where electricity is imported from Eskom, he said.

Christmas starts early for the world’s favourite elder statesman, Nelson Mandela. Staff members of the flagship Nelson Mandela Foundation are busy listing and storing the latest batch of goodies flooding in since last month. ”The range of gifts is truly awesome,” said Verne Harris, the project manager of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.

The World Cup goes on with or without Cape Town — this was the stark warning emanating from chairperson Irvin Khoza on Wednesday at a Local Organising Committee media briefing on the progress towards the 2010 tournament. Khoza was commenting on the niggling succession of obstacles that have emerged surrounding the construction of a new stadium for the World Cup.

Israel has missed an opportunity to learn from a man of peace and integrity in blocking a United Nations mission led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Non-Governmental Organisation (Sangoco) said on Wednesday. He would have shown Israelis the path to justice, peace and reconciliation, as his role in South Africa demonstrated, said Sangoco president Dolos Luka.

The four South Africans abducted in Iraq on Sunday are believed to be alive and there has been contact with their captors, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. ”As far as we are aware, they are still alive,” said department spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.

South Africa are set to pick an all-pace bowling attack as they seek to exploit India’s frailty against the lifting ball in the first Test starting at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday. Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje was not replaced after his sudden retirement from international cricket on Tuesday while unorthodox left-armer Paul Adams was released from the squad to play for his franchise team.

The South African Air Force (SAAF) can transport VIPs or be combat ready, not both, said the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday. ”The few remaining resources that the SAAF has will either have to be used for transporting VIPs or maintaining combat readiness. It cannot do both,” said DA spokesperson Roy Jankielsohn.

A robbery at a Coin Security depot on the West Rand this week was carried out by a ”sophisticated syndicate”, a labour union said on Wednesday. Media reports on Wednesday said that the Coin Security Group’s Robertville depot on the West Rand was robbed of R30-million in a ”daring” heist on Monday morning.

The murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble was an assisted suicide, according to an affidavit submitted to the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday in support of Kebble murder accused Glenn Agliotti’s bail application. Agliotti was granted bail of R500 000 and the matter was postponed to January 25.