South Africa

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called for the resignation of the five Supreme Court of Appeal judges who turned down Schabir Shaik’s appeal. Cosatu said the five misrepresented the findings of the trial judge and damaged African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Sunday called for African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma to be reinstated as the country’s
deputy president. This followed a media report in which Judge Hilary Squires denied he found a ”generally corrupt relationship” between Zuma and businessman Schabir Shaik.

Robbers posing as security guards attacked Coin Security staff and took R50-million, the Sowetan newspaper reported on Monday. The gangsters ambushed a cash-in-transit van on its way back to the Coin Security depot with money on Saturday, disarmed the two guards and took their uniforms.

South African musician Jabu Khanyile died in the Johannesburg Hospital on Sunday morning. He had been undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer and he had diabetes. He played with different bands for a decade before joining Bayete, first as a drummer and then as the band’s lead vocalist.

Former African National Congress chief whip and fraud convict Tony Yengeni
arrived late at Malmesbury prison due to car trouble, Beeld newspaper reported on Monday. Accompanied by two vehicles, Yengeni, who was out on weekend parole, arrived more than an hour late — a breach of the code of conduct for prisoners.

Top African National Congress (ANC) leaders will meet on Monday to discuss the fate of Mbulelo Goniwe, who has been accused of sexually harassing a 21-year-old administration assistant, the Sunday Times said. Goniwe, the ANC’s parliamentary chief whip, is alleged to have asked the woman to have sex with him after she had helped serve dinner to guests at his home on October 25.

Judge Hilary Squires, who sentenced Schabir Shaik to 15 years in prison for corruption, says he never found a ”generally corrupt relationship” between the controversial businessman and former deputy president Jacob Zuma. The Supreme Court of Appeal attributed the phrase to Squires in its judgement upholding Shaik’s corruption and fraud convictions last week.

The brother of Shaik on Friday confirmed that they would be selling the Nkobi Group’s assets to pay for legal expenses. Mo Shaik said the assets would include about R38-million that was seized by the Assets Forfeiture Unit. Schabir Shaik began his 15-year jail sentence on Thursday after being found guilty on fraud and corruption charges.

Lovers of fizzy drinks have been warned of shortages in the high-demand December period due to carbon-dioxide supply problems, a bottling company spokesperson said on Friday. The shortages are expected in November and December, ABI spokesperson Michael Farr said.

Outgoing prisons chief Linda Mti has not yet been appointed as head of security for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Beeld reported on Friday. It quoted local organising committee (LOC) spokesperson Tumi Makgabo as saying Mti was still being considered for the position.

Tshwane municipal manager Blake Mosley-Lefatola has resigned, media reports said on Friday. Mosley-Lefatola has handed his letter of resignation to Tshwane mayor Gwen Ramokgopa who had not yet responded. Mosley-Lefatola said: ”We had a good working relationship. There were differences in dealing with issues.”

Social Welfare Minister Zola Skweyiya has come out in support of a basic income grant, the Star reported on Friday. It quoted him as saying: ”I personally believe — and it’s not an African National Congress position — that we do need something like that.”

This week, we expose a new business front set up by the African National Congress (ANC) to seek profit on its behalf. The Chancellor House group of companies has acquired ”empowerment” stakes in a range of businesses. Often these opportunities have depended on the government’s discretion. This means the ANC, as ruling party, has been both player and referee.

A man wrestles a woman to the ground along Selby Street in downtown Johannesburg. He picks her up like a screaming baby, carries her behind a pillar and rapes her. On the sixth floor of the Carlton Centre, a team of ”incident analysts” sits before a bank of screens, following the events as they unfold.

President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday dismissed calls for a commission of inquiry into allegations against police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. Mbeki wrote a letter to a Freedom Front Plus MP in response to requests by that party last week for an inquiry to investigate allegations that Selebi was involved in criminal activities.

Artists and other creative workers could soon enjoy the benefits of a social-security scheme, the Creative Workers’ Union of South Africa (CWUSA) said on Thursday. It is hoped that the scheme will be launched in September next year, the CWUSA’s general secretary, Oupa Lebogo, told reporters in Johannesburg.