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The government has suspended further payments of Jacob Zuma’s legal costs over his impending corruption trial, it was reported on Monday. The Star quoted the head of the state attorney’s office as saying that the government would not pay future legal costs until Zuma provides a detailed account of how he had spent money previously received from the state.
For an American TV audience, he had all the credentials to be a successful celebrity chef. Robert Irvine was a Briton, apparently with royal connections, a knighthood and experience that included cooking for four United States presidents. His show Dinner: Impossible quickly became a favourite on the cable channel Food Network.
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/ 28 February 2008
Two University of the Free State students apologised on Thursday for their involvement in a racist video which has sparked a national outcry. RC Malherbe and Schalk van der Merwe said they acted without malicious intent, and expressed sorrow for the embarrassment they might have caused any individual or group.
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/ 21 February 2008
Floor-crossing will finally be scrapped, a media report said on Thursday. Following on a decision by the African National Congress’s Polokwane conference, Parliament’s committee on private members’ legislative proposals on Wednesday agreed to a draft Bill that will lead to the scrapping of the practice.
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/ 19 February 2008
Media reports of a row over an ”inferior” contract the South African Rugby Union purportedly offered new Springbok coach Peter de Villiers were unfounded, his agent said on Tuesday. Rian Oberholzer said his client’s contract is still being negotiated. ”There is no sensational new development,” he said.
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/ 17 February 2008
A draft loyalty pledge has plunged South Africa into a new identity crisis as it mulls its common values 14 years after discarding apartheid to forge a united society under a single flag. As the motley rainbow nation quibbles over a government proposal to introduce a pledge of allegiance in schools, some ideological battle lines are being redrawn.
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/ 13 February 2008
The Presidency said on Wednesday that it would have to consult President Thabo Mbeki before commenting on a report quoting former ambassador to France Barbara Masekela. In the report, Masekela is quoted as saying she had arranged a meeting between Mbeki and an arms company that is the co-accused in Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial.
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/ 12 February 2008
President Thabo Mbeki failed to take action despite being told South Africa’s police commissioner faced prosecution over his alleged links to organised crime, the Star newspaper reported on Tuesday. The paper quoted an affidavit filed on Monday by Mokotedi Mpshe, the acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority.
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/ 11 February 2008
South African President Thabo Mbeki said he has no plans to appoint the deputy president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to the Cabinet or make other changes to accommodate allies of ANC leader Jacob Zuma. Mbeki told the Star there was no truth to reports that he would appoint Kgalema Motlanthe to his Cabinet.
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/ 11 February 2008
The "specialist nature" of the Scorpions might well be retained, wherever the unit is finally located, President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday. He said the government remained firmly committed to ensuring South Africa’s capacity to fight organised crime was enhanced, not reduced.
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/ 5 February 2008
Malaysian police have arrested a thief who fell asleep after snacking on cookies in the home of his victim and was discovered curled up in bed clutching a stolen purse, a newspaper said on Monday. V Sathya said his nine-year old son was startled to find the intruder sleeping in his bed after the family returned from a shopping trip.
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/ 4 February 2008
It was mostly good news in the Bulls camp on Monday regarding injuries following their warm-up match against the Lions in Windhoek over the weekend, but they were waiting anxiously for an X-ray report on Bryan Habana’s ribs. The star winger was injured in the Bulls’ last warm-up match before the Super 14 competition starts.
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/ 1 February 2008
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A host of defamation claims lodged by the African National Congress president Jacob Zuma against several publications were on Friday slashed to ”approximately R12-million”, a spokesperson for Zuma said. Liesl Göttert said: ”Mr Jacob Zuma will instruct his media legal team to drop the defamation component of all media claims that he instituted against some media.”
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/ 31 January 2008
Press photographers were again barred from attending a press conference where South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Tito Mboweni announced the latest repo-rate decision on Thursday. It is the second time that photographers have been barred from taking pictures of Mboweni at the SARB press conference.
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/ 25 January 2008
It was with growing astonishment, anger and finally disgust that I read Corné Krige’s recent comments on new Springbok coach Pieter de Villiers. The most nauseating part of what read like a racist attack by the former Bok captain on De Villiers was a line from his final paragraph.
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/ 22 January 2008
Scorpions investigator Ivor Powell was granted R1 000 bail in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. His case was remanded to April 29 pending the outcome of his blood alcohol tests. He was arrested on Tuesday night, apparently in the company of alleged Americans gang boss Igshaan Davids.
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/ 22 January 2008
A top Scorpions investigator is expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning on charges relating to driving under the influence of alcohol, Talk Radio 702 reported on Tuesday. Senior Scorpion Ivor Powell was apparently arrested with fugitive gang boss Igshaan Davids in Woodstock, on Tuesday evening.
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/ 21 January 2008
South Africa was set on Monday to ration electricity in a bid to stem a spiralling crisis that has dealt a severe blow to its status as the continent’s economic powerhouse. After mounting anger over daily power cuts that have cost business hundreds of millions of rands, the government said it was drawing up plans that could see consumers fined if they exceed set quotas.
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/ 17 January 2008
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African National Congress president Jacob Zuma is claiming R5-million from Rapport for defamation and crimen injuria, his spokesperson Liesl Gottert said on Thursday — a day after he reached a R50Â 000 out-of-court settlement with the same paper for a previous defamation and crimen injuria claim.
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/ 16 January 2008
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Rapport newspaper said on Wednesday it was satisfied with an out-of-court settlement reached with African National Congress president Jacob Zuma over a defamation and injuria claim. ”I’m satisfied,” was all Rapport editor Tim du Plessis wanted to say on hearing the news of the settlement on Wednesday.
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/ 15 January 2008
The Presidency on Tuesday defended Thabo Mbeki’s handling of police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi’s case. Addressing reporters at the Union Buildings, Mbeki’s legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi, said Mbeki acted immediately when he learned that the National Prosecuting Authority was ready to proceed with action against Selebi.
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/ 15 January 2008
There was no change in the status of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) position on its investigation into police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, the NPA said on Tuesday. ”There is no change,” said NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali. Selebi is on leave and has resigned his post as head of Interpol.
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/ 10 January 2008
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Jacob Zuma makes his first keynote speech as African National Congress (ANC) leader on Saturday amid forecasts his election as head of South Africa’s ruling party will herald the biggest bout of turbulence since apartheid. All eyes will be on whether Zuma proffers an olive branch towards President Thabo Mbeki or stakes his claim as head of a rival centre of power.
Concerns have been raised about the reliability of an R600-million state-funded Statistics South Africa survey endorsed by President Thabo Mbeki. The Statistics Council of South Africa said irregularities in the survey made it questionable as to whether the survey could provide a ”scientific basis” for government policy.
The December holidays always bring turmoil and carnage to South African roads, but this year has seen the number of road fatalities reduced by 18%. Statistics released by the Department of Transport for last month show that the number of deaths had dropped by 263 from the previous year.
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/ 18 December 2007
The two co-accused of former bouncer Gary Beuthin were denied bail in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Magistrate Fatima Khan found they had not satisfied the court that there were exceptional circumstances for them to be granted bail.
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/ 16 December 2007
England and Sri Lanka will mark one of cricket’s most poignant moments when they contest the third Test at the previously tsunami-ravaged Galle International Stadium from Tuesday. The stadium, situated close to the Indian Ocean in the country’s coastal south, was destroyed by the Asian tsunami in 2004.
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/ 7 December 2007
”Unfortunate and regrettable” was how Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya on Friday described the publication of a letter in which he criticised Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota. ”I wish to state that the letter was intended for internal discussion within the African National Congress, and not for public consumption,” he said.
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/ 7 December 2007
The state will foot Schabir Shaik’s legal costs at the Constitutional Court next year when he fights to retain his assets worth about R33-million, the Star newspaper reported on Friday. In an application to the Durban High Court recently, Shaik indicated that he had no cash and would need about R2,5-million to cover legal costs.
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/ 6 December 2007
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A member of the African National Congress has launched a legal bid to postpone the party’s conference this month, citing divisions over its leadership and breaches of the Bill of Rights, local media said on Thursday. Lawyer and ANC member Votani Majola would seek an interdict at the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday.
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/ 5 December 2007
A reported spat between Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya and Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota was an indication of how the divisions within the African National Congress (ANC) were running through the Cabinet, a political analyst said on Wednesday.
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/ 5 December 2007
Police are yet to notify the next-of-kin of a middle-aged woman who jumped to her death from the seventh floor of the Michelangelo Towers on Tuesday. A media report said a note with the words ”I’m tired of life” was found in her room. The general manager at the Michelangelo Towers, Johan Troskie, refused to disclose any information,