Cape Town taximen have been deliberately sabotaging the city’s rail services in order to gain customers, the commission of inquiry into violence in the Western Cape minibus taxi industry heard on Friday. Metrorail’s regional manager handed the commission a document he said contained ”very sensitive information” on the issue.
The head of the commission into Western Cape taxi violence clashed on Wednesday with a senior legal adviser to the City of Cape Town on the issue of witness safety. The confrontation took place in the wake of the slaying at the weekend of a prominent figure in the taxi industry, who only days earlier had testified to the commission.
A group of protesters started burning tyres at the entrance to the informal settlements at De Doorns, near Worcester, in the Western Cape, on Wednesday, South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news reported. Residents threatened to blockade the N1, which runs past De Doorns and Worcester.
According to South Africa’s Competition Tribunal, any public-interest concerns over the merger between listed retailer Edgars Consolidated Stores (Edcon) and Topics, regarding cheap clothing imports from China and the effect on local employment, cannot be cured by the imposition of a merger condition on a single firm.
A taxi driver from the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association was shot dead at Shakaskraal on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, South African Broadcasting Corporation news said on Monday. Meanwhile, police are mediating between two rival taxi associations at Umhlali near Stanger.
The National Sea Rescue Institute has ended its search off the Western Cape coast for the remaining crew member of a ski boat that went missing in rough seas on Saturday. Five rescue boats and a Dakota aircraft from the Ysterplaat air-force base in Cape Town were used in the search.
The power Shaiks Now that the high court has pronounced on Schabir Shaik and President Thabo Mbeki has done the country proud in axing Jacob Zuma, one remains puzzled at the role the Shaik brothers appear to play in the contention for influence and power, without visibly being representative of anyone or anything except themselves. […]
There was much ululating as President Thabo Mbeki and former deputy president Jacob Zuma entered this week’s gathering of the African National Congress’s policy conference. One was the overall leader of the country as well as the party while the other had fallen from political grace after being ”released” as the country’s deputy president by Mbeki before a joint sitting of Parliament.
Coastal dunes surround an inland lake that is home to hippos, huge carp and barbels. A host of other rare fauna and flora dwell here in an ecologically unique paradise for nature lovers, budding botanists, fishing fanatics and bird-watchers alike. You’d be forgiven for thinking this describes some coastal haven in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Four of South Africa’s top tourism companies were at the forefront of a Pro-Poor Tourism pilot project that aimed to increase the benefits of the industry to include poverty reduction and skills development. The project, which was established in May 2002, hoped to improve links between poor people and the businesses that drive the industry.
A R2,2-billion water pipeline from the Vaal River to Sasol and Eskom operations near Secunda has to be completed by July 2007, the project’s funders said on Wednesday. Work on the pipeline — that will provide about 160-million cubic metres of water — was to begin later this year.
Church’s Chicken, the world’s second largest fried chicken franchise, will soon be spreading its wings over the Western Cape. This follows the acquisition by a Stellenbosch-based company, Inkuku Holdings Ltd, of the American rights to establish a minimum of 50 Church’s Chicken outlets over the next five years.
With a caddie named Elvis on his bag, Western Cape professional Jean Hugo is expecting to make music again at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club this week as he goes in search of his second win in as many weeks on this layout in the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour.
The man who illegally processed cash for the Democratic Alliance that may have come from now-jailed fraudster Jurgen Harksen has been appointed the party’s provincial director in the Western Cape. Erik Marais paid a R10Â 000 fine in 2003 for violating foreign exchange regulations after his role was exposed in hearings of the Desai commission of inquiry.
Thousands of workers protested against unemployment and poverty around South Africa on Monday in a nationwide strike that business says was poorly attended and unnecessary. The SA Chamber of Business said that only 10% of workers took part in the strike, which cost the economy an estimated R500-million.
The Independent Democrat’s former Western Cape leader Lennit Max and his lawyer walked out of his disciplinary hearing in Cape Town on Friday. The walk-out came after independent presiding officer Sarah Christie refused to adjourn proceedings for Max to bring a high court application for a Christie’s recusal.
Senior members of the judiciary were present on Tuesday when Minister of Justice Brigitte Mabandla officially opened the Equality court in the Cape High court. ”It is my hope that this Equality court will be successful in further eradicating the legacy of inequality and at the same time enhance our ability to bring justice closer to an increasing mass of our people,” said Mabandla.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will — by the end of July — appoint a service provider to identify the top 50 air polluting industries or sectors in South Africa, said Minister Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Monday. "The web of life is more than just a poetic idea, it is a reality that defines our biggest social, economic and developmental challenges," he said.
The storm in a tea cup over the use of the word ”rooibos” finally ended this week with an agreement that worldwide registration of the name will be cancelled. This concludes a protracted R6-million rights and licence fee dispute. The name ”rooibos” was initially registered by cosmetic giant Annique Theron in 1994.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, national chairperson of the South African Communist Party, has been named as axed Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s successor as Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly. This may be an indication of whom the president has in mind to fill the Deputy President’s shoes but the Presidency was still not telling on Friday morning.
The SABC will be allowed to broadcast regional television programmes on two stations in official languages other than English, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) announced on Wednesday. Icasa chairman Mandla Langa said SABC 4 would broadcast in Setswana, Sesotho, Sepedi and TshiVenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans.
President Thabo Mbeki has asked the secretary of Parliament to arrange for a joint sitting on Tuesday, his office said on Monday. Spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said: ”The president will deal with issues arising from the judgement of Judge Hilary Squires.”
Relief and joy were etched on the faces of women who were among the first Western Cape prisoners to be released on Monday as part of the government’s remission of sentence programmes. ”Ek is te bly. Ek wil net by die huis kom. Dis al. [I am so happy. I just want to go home. That’s all],” said Dorieca Demas from Bishop Lavis.
African National Congress (ANC) MP James Ngculu ousted Western Cape ANC chairperson Ibrahim Rasool from his post following an election at the party’s provincial congress on Saturday. Ngculu, who chairs the National Assembly’s health committee, won the election by 274 to 259 votes.
Controversial Beaufort West politician Truman Prince on Wednesday night committed himself to promoting the rights of women after being found guilty by an African National Congress disciplinary committee. The three-person committee sitting in Cape Town suspended Prince’s ANC membership for six months.
Six hours of negotiations between striking unions and Metrorail were a ”total disaster and waste of time”, said United Transport and Allied Trade Unions (Utatu) general secretary Chris de Vos after Wednesday’s meeting. The strike, which has left thousands of commuters inconvenienced, will enter its fourth day on Thursday.
Train services were running relatively smoothly on Wednesday, a Metrorail spokesperson said as a countrywide strike entered its third day. Thandi Mlangeni said 97% of trains were running in the Witwatersrand area, 60% in Tshwane, 88% in Durban and 21% in Cape Town.
The strike by Metrorail workers that has been delaying tens of thousands of commuters for the past two days can be resolved for about R1-million a year, the Congress of South African Trade Unions said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a Metrorail spokesperson said the company cannot afford the increase demanded by workers.
Reports of chaos at train stations around South Africa were exaggerated, Metrorail said on Tuesday as a wage strike against the rail operator entered its second day. Metrorail spokesperson Thandi Mlangeni said while the service had been disrupted, its updates at 7am were ”showing a very positive picture”.
Shouts of ”Viva” and ”Amandla” and the sound of whistles and vuvuzelas echoed through Johannesburg’s Park station on Monday as about 100 Metrorail workers protested against the company’s 4,5% wage offer. There were severe disruptions on Monday in the Western Cape, with only 2% of trains operational.
Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu said on Friday that 1,6-million houses have been built since 1994, but admitted the housing backlog is still enormous and her department can only do so much. She said poor communication with the public is the likely cause of protests about the pace of housing delivery.
The African National Congress’s disciplinary hearing of embattled Beaufort West politician Truman Prince has been postponed to June 6. Prince’s advocate, Charles Simon, said his client pleaded not guilty to all charges, including alleged intimidation and death threats.