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South African regulator gives nod for Eskom wind power project

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:01:11 -0400

JOHANNESBURG - The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has granted power producer Eskom a licence for its Sere wind farm in the Western Cape, paving the way for the company to start construction of its $254.3 million (R2.4-billion) project. Sere is the Nama word for "cool breeze". The wind farm project is scheduled to become fully commercially operational by the end of ...

Pistorius wont compete in 2013 due to murder trial

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:20:02 -0400

Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympic champion who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, will not compete this year in any event as he awaits trial. Pistorius stands accused of premeditated murder after the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his Pretoria home. According to sports 24, Pistorius will face trial in the North Gauteng High Court on 4 June. EWN reported that ...

Gupta family acknowledges some misjudgments made in landing chartered jet at S. Africa base

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:30:04 -0400

A well-connected Indian family in South Africa has apologised for the controversy surrounding the landing a chartered plane at Waterkloof Air Force Base to carry guests for his niece's wedding. The Gupta family said that it had only wanted to hold a memorable wedding, but realised that some bad decisions or misjudgments could have been made in the process to secure landing rights for the plane. ...

President Obama To Visit Senegal South Africa Tanzania

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

The White House says U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Africa this summer, visiting three countries. In a statement Monday, the White House says President Obama along with his wife, Michelle, will travel to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania in late June and early July. The administration says Obama will meet with government officials as well as leaders from business, civil ...

South Africa plans water pipeline to supply northern coal mines

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:08:02 -0400

- South Africa will begin building a 70-kilometer (44-mile) pipeline this year to supply water from a reservoir in the north to local coal mines, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said. The De Hoop Dam in Limpopo Province is almost complete and water storage has begun, the minister said today in Cape Town. Work on a separate pipeline that will supply other parts of the ...

Lack of evidence Suspect freed in Anene Booysen case

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:07:45 -0400

"The state has withdrawn charges against Jonathan Davids after a thorough investigative process. Davids was arrested after he was implicated in the rape and murder of Anene Booysen. The investigation revealed that there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction," said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila in a statement on Tuesday. Ntabazalila said ...

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and the auction that wasnt

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:07:44 -0400

The reason for a gathering of journalists on a steep street in Soweto was sound at first: Madikizela-Mandela owed more than R20 000 to Abbotts College for her grand-nephew's fees. She had not paid after repeated threats, and eventually a court ordered an auction to recover the money owed. Ostensibly, the sheriff of the court was going to auction goods in her house to cover this amount. ...

Former Prez Kufuor back home from South Africa Switzerland

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:54:50 -0400

Accra, May 21, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufour on Monday returned home from South Africa and Switzerland after engagements to woe investors to ...

De Klerk slams afro-pessimists

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:48:17 -0400

Jacob Zuma got a little support from an unlikely quarter Tuesday when FW De Klerk laid into the "prophets of doom" putting down the country. De Klerk said "afro-pessimists" did not give the country or the continent enough credit for strides made.De Klerk acknowledged the country faces "serious international perception problems" but said the country had seen 18 years ...

Leave to appeal in gun case denied

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:48:14 -0400

Johannesburg - The Constitutional Court has refused the Justice Alliance of SA (Jasa) leave to appeal a costs order relating to a Firearms Control Act ruling. There were no exceptional circumstances to justify hearing an appeal only about costs, the court found on Tuesday. It nonetheless cautioned courts "to be careful not to make costs orders that will inhibit genuine constitutional issues ...

Insufficient evidence against Anene accused

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:48:11 -0400

Cape Town - Charges were dropped on Tuesday against one of the men accused of raping and killing teenager Anene Booysen, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed. Regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said charges were withdrawn against Jonathan Davids, 22, in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court after a thorough investigation. "The investigation revealed there was ...

More real invoices than fakes - lawyer

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:48:08 -0400

Durban in a Word Thirty writers, thirsty views of Durban. Each piece evokes memories of the city that has shaped... Was R126.00 Now ...

South Africa Green Light for Eskoms Sere Wind Farm

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:37:58 -0400

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has given state company Eskom a licence to go ahead with its Sere wind farm near Koekenaap in the Western Cape. "Sere is our first large-scale renewable energy project," Eskom chief executive officer Brian Dames said in a statement on Monday. "It demonstrates our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and to investing in a ...

Daughters sue Nelson Mandela over control of assets

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:35:29 -0400

Nelson Mandela is being sued by his daughters for the right to control his money and artwork, legal documents indicate. Makaziwe and Zenani Mandela are fighting a 2004 court order that gave Nelson Mandela the right to instruct his then lawyer, Ismail Ayob, to stop managing his financial affairs. Ayob is now representing the daughters, The Star reported. The suit, which was filed last week in ...

Joburg service centre near breaking point after employee suspensions

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:57:11 -0400

The City employees were suspended after they embarked on an unprotected strike in March. In spite of bringing in support staff from various other support centres around the city, Thuso House in Braamfontein is dealing with customer queries at a painfully slow rate. On Tuesday, only seven out of the available 35 customer service stations were staffed with personnel while more than 60 customers ...

Bidders a no-show at Madikizela auction

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:57:10 -0400

"We are not going to cancel, but there are no bidders. There are none," he said. "It happens." Earlier, after the house's steel gate was not opened in response to their knocks, three representatives of the Soweto sheriff's office regrouped in their vehicle. They had been ordered to auction personal items belonging to Madikizela-Mandela to recover a debt owed to ...

Zuma ‘mourns with US’ after tornado

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:54:41 -0400

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma sent condolences to the United States on Tuesday after a tornado killed at least 51 people, the international relations department ...

Top cop was needed for Marikana

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:32:43 -0400

Rustenburg - Questions were raised as to why a top public order police (Pop) official was not appointed to oversee the operational plan in Marikana, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Tuesday.Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the families of the deceased Lonmin miners, said Major General Charl Annandale failed to summon anyone who headed the Pop unit to oversee the plan to disperse striking Lonmin ...

SA needs R670bn for water sanitation

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:32:38 -0400

Edna Molewa said on Tuesday.Speaking during debate in the National Assembly on her department's 2013/14 budget, she said this included the cost of refurbishing the country's ageing, existing plants and treatment works."Capital investment in new water and sanitation infrastructure for the entire value chain... is projected to require an estimated R670bn over the next 10 years, or an ...

Dagga vodka played role in ritual case

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:32:36 -0400

Johannesburg - The effect of using dagga and vodka in succession was graphically explained to a Johannesburg court on Tuesday by murder-accused Harvey Isha. "When I am lying in bed after taking them, the ceiling would look like it is spinning... you feel like vomiting at the same time," Isha told the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court. He ...

Beyonce Shares Blue Ivy Tutu Photo After Critics Question Baby Clothes

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:57 -0400

Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy sits in her very own monogrammed director's chair Beyonce recently shared a heart warming photograph of her daughter Blue Ivy on social networking site Tumblr, and some fans suspect that the image may be a direct response to ...

South Africa Sheriff denied entry to auction Mandela ex-wifes belongings to pay debt

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:27:36 -0400

JOHANNESBURG - An auction to pay off a debt of Nelson Mandela's ex-wife failed to take place because no one would open her home to the sheriff. Officials and reporters gathered Tuesday outside the gated home of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. No one responded to the doorbell although a black car sped out of the gates. Madikizela-Mandela is loved by many for her role in the anti-apartheid ...

Rubber bullets fired at South African mine strikers several hurt

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:50:33 -0400

By Wendell RoelfCAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Ten striking South African miners were taken to hospital on Tuesday after being hit by rubber bullets, police said, as labour strife swells in mines and factories ahead of mid-year pay negotiations.Auto maker ...

Carl Pistorius acquitted of culpable homicide

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:44:14 -0400

Pistorius was acquitted on a charge of culpable homicide by the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Medupe Simasiku said the state failed to prove a watertight case against him. "We do accept the decision of the court and we will not be taking any further action on this case moving forward," Simasiku said shortly after ...

Government fund buys 25 stake in Independent News

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:44:13 -0400

Independent was recently purchased by the Sekunjalo Independent Media Consortium, which was set up by Dr Iqbal Surve to bring Independent News and Media SA "back home", after it was bought from Anglo American by the Irish holding company, Independent News and Media in ...

AfriForum slated over ANC terror attacks ceremony

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:44:13 -0400

The ANC has lashed out at AfriForum's youth wing for observing a minute of silence for civilians "killed in ANC terror attacks between 1980 and ...

Protesting parents demand new school

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:22:21 -0400

Johannesburg - Parents demanding a new school for their children protested in Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town, on Tuesday, the Western Cape education department said.Parents of children living in Philippi protested outside the Khanya Primary School in Mitchell's Plain, which their children currently attended, spokesperson Paddy Attwell said.The department said schools in Philippi were under ...

Miners hurt in clash with guards

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:22:20 -0400

Johannesburg - Ten striking miners at a chrome mine near Rustenburg were admitted to hospital after clashes with security guards, police said on Tuesday. "Ten miners were admitted to hospital. They were injured after security guards fired what are reported to be rubber bullets," police spokesperson Thulani Ngubane said. He added that officers had arrived at the mine, owned by ...

Farlam commission Officer admits to drawing up Marikana plan

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:35:09 -0400

A statement written by Scott in November was entered as evidence on Monday. In it, Scott said: "The plan or strategy that I prepared and proposed for adoption ... was the first of its kind," the Farlam commission heard on Monday. Major General Charl Annandale, who headed the police's tactical response team during the unrest, denied that Scott had single-handedly formulated the ...

Anene Booysen State drops all charges against Davids

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:35:09 -0400

The case against Jonathan Davids (22) and Johannes Kana (21) was postponed last month because the state was still waiting for forensic analysis, cellphone records and a handwriting report. Booysen (17) was found severely beaten and disembowelled at a construction site after spending several hours at a pub in Bredasdorp on February 2. She died soon after being hospitalised. Before she died, ...

Tributes continue pouring in for Mbuli

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:35:08 -0400

Mbuli (46) collapsed while watching the Cheetahs' 27-13 Vodacom Super Rugby win over the Reds at the Free State Stadium on Saturday night. He was treated on the scene before being taken to the Mediclinic hospital in Bloemfontein, where he died. The archbishop said he thanked God for Mbuli's dedication to building the nation and for challenging South Africans to be the best they could ...

ANC on Gupta report Name-dropping is human nature

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:35:08 -0400

"This is what happens in society and any organisation when people want favours. They will name-drop to exaggerate their weight and it happens all the time," Mantashe told journalists in Johannesburg following the ANC's latest national executive committee meeting. In the findings of a ministerial ...

Charges against Anene suspect dropped

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:14:07 -0400

Cape Town - Charges against Jonathan Davids, who was accused of raping and murdering teenager Anene Booysen in February, were dropped in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. According to EWN, the State withdrew its case against Davids, much to the delight of his family members, who were in court. Before she died, Booysen apparently identified Davids as one of her alleged ...

Circumcision deaths outrage Zuma

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:14:06 -0400

Jacob Zuma on Tuesday expressed shock and outrage at the deaths of 27 boys who attended initiation schools in Mpumalanga."The whole country is outraged at this massive and unnecessary loss of young life at the hands of those who are supposed to nurture and protect them," Zuma said in a statement.Colonel Leonard Hlathi said on Monday police were investigating 26 murder cases and one ...

South Africa Under pressure miners union demands 60 percent wage raise

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:11:16 -0400

South African employers are bracing themselves for the mother of strike seasons this year. As the end of May beckons, the country is braced for a series of employment negotiations, as sectoral wage contracts come under the spotlight.First to throw the gauntlet is the country's largest and richest trade union, the powerful, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which submitted its wage demands ...

Ten South African miners hospitalised after chrome mine clash

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:09:49 -0400

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Ten striking miners at a chrome mine in South Africa were admitted to hospital after clashes with security guards, police said. "Ten miners were admitted to hospital. They were injured after security guards fired what are reported to be rubber bullets," police spokesman Thulani Ngubane said. He added that officers had arrived at the mine, owned by chemicals ...

Security guards fire rubber bullets at South Africa strikers

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:07:18 -0400

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Security guards at a South African chrome mine owned by chemicals group Lanxess fired rubber bullets at stone-throwing workers on an illegal strike, a spokeswoman for the company said on ...

Magistrates go on strike

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:05:47 -0400

Johannesburg - Magistrates around the country participated in a stay-away on Tuesday, demanding improved salaries and benefits, the Judicial Officers' Association of SA (Joasa) said. "The two-day strike was for yesterday [Monday] and today," Joasa president Nazeem Joemath said. Magistrates embarked on protest action in March. They demanded a single pay structure for the ...

Men appear for disabled girls rape

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:05:45 -0400

Cape Town - Two men have appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court for raping a mentally disabled teenager, The Daily Voice reported on Tuesday.The case against the men, aged 27, and 29, was postponed until next Tuesday for bail information, the newspaper reported.The 15-year-old girl was reportedly playing outside her home on Thursday when she was lured to a shack with the promise of ...

Midrand student kidnapped still missing

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:05:44 -0400

The Sowetan reported on Tuesday. Philasandre Ngum, 19, was thought to have been abducted at the Boulders shopping centre on 3 May, the newspaper reported. Her mother, Catherine Ngum reportedly opened a missing person's case, distributed flyers and reviewed security footage from the mall showing her daughter entering, but not leaving. The Sowetan reported that she received a phone call ...

Cape Town school hit by vandals

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:05:43 -0400

Cape Argus reported on Tuesday.Education MEC Donald Grant's spokesperson Bronagh Casey told the newspaper Beauvallon Secondary school, in Valhalla Park, had been burgled and vandalised three times this year and once last year.In the past week two classrooms and a feeding scheme room had reportedly been damaged.According to ...

South African bishops criticize police presence at private wedding

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:02:19 -0400

The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference has criticized "the deployment of the police flying squad and other elements of the security forces" and "the use of an air-force base by a privately-chartered jet" during a recent wedding of prominent Indian entrepreneurs. "The South African Police Services should busy itself with combating crime, for which there is ...

Gupta metro cops sue for wrongful arrest

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:52:42 -0400

ANC spokesperson Gwede Mantashe said the ruling party's National Executive Committee was satisfied with the report they received on the Gupta scandal. ...

Diplomat claims blackmail after dog bite

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:52:41 -0400

Pretoria - The deputy high commissioner of an Asian country has claimed a Pretoria couple is trying to blackmail him after his dog allegedly bit a woman on the ...

Striking janitors dump faeces on N2

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:52:40 -0400

Cape Town - Striking janitors responsible for cleaning communal toilets were responsible for shutting down a section of the N2 highway in Cape Town on Monday, ...

ANC praises Zimbabwe border drug bust

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:52:38 -0400

Johannesburg - The ANC Limpopo has praised the police for arresting a man suspected of smuggling cocaine worth about R18m on the street into South Africa."We applaud the police for the swift response, because drugs are one of the contributory factors to crime in the country," ANC Limpopo spokesperson Sipho Dikgale said in a statement on Tuesday.Kudinga Bunyabvabu, 36, was arrested at ...

Bid to halt auction of Winnies goods

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:52:35 -0400

The Sowetan . As a result, there would be an auction at her home in Orlando West, Soweto. The Sowetan reported that Madikizela-Mandela signed an agreement on January 11 2008, pledging to pay R40 000 in accommodation fees, but there was an outstanding amount which included interest and legal fees. Dudula was working to resolve the issue before the auction's scheduled start at ...

Rob Walter named Titans coach

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:01:34 -0400

This is Walter's first coaching post. He has previously been involved as a fitness trainer for South Africa, Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors. He was selected over other applicants, including former Titans coach Richard Pybus and Zimbabwe batting coach Grant ...

Interpol searches for missing SA chef

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:48:24 -0400

Cape Town - Interpol has been asked to help search for a South African chef who is believed to missing in Ireland. Cape Town resident Johan van Wyk, 30, flew to Dublin in November last year. His family's last contact with him was a postcard for Christmas, reported ...

Black advocate challenges exclusion

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:48:23 -0400

Johannesburg - A junior advocate has urged black businesses and lawyers not to shy away from suing for anti-competitive practices when they are excluded because of their ...

South Africa Jansen to Be Honoured in New York

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:37:15 -0400

South Africa's Professor Jonathan Jansen will receive the Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa at a gala ceremony in New York on 3 June, it was announced at the weekend. Jansen, the vice-chancellor and rector of the University of the Free State, played a key role in turning the university "away from its apartheid legacy into an institution that is truly representative ...

Africa DRC-South Africa Pact Paves Way for Mega Hydro-Electric Plant

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:37:14 -0400

With South Africa confirmed as a key partner, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced October 2015 as the launch date for construction of the first phase of what could eventually be the largest hydroelectric plant in the world. The Grand Inga project on the Congo River is expected, once all the phases are complete, to generate a massive 40 000 MW of electricity, bringing renewable ...

Obama plans tour to South Africa

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:44:29 -0400

Washington - President Barack Obama will leave on a first African tour next month, visiting Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa, but his itinerary released on Monday bypasses Kenya, an ancestral ...

South Africa Multi-Currency Card First for Country

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:29:34 -0400

South African bank Absa has launched a multi-currency travel prepaid cash card through MasterCard, which is available in four currencies and is a first for the country and the continent. The bank will also be launching an Islamic Banking multi-currency passport soon, which is a first Sharia'h compliant and unique solution for clients travelling overseas. "Although there are other ...

South Africa Canadian Governor General to Visit

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:29:34 -0400

South Africa's relations with Canada will come under the spotlight on Tuesday when President Jacob Zuma hosts the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, for a state visit. This will be Johnston's first visit to South Africa, which forms part of his tour of Africa, including stops in Ghana and Botswana. South Africa is Canada's second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan ...

Two daughters of Nelson Mandela seek rights to his artwork and companies

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:09 -0400

Former South African president, Nelson Mandela's daughter Makaziwe Mandela, (left) with her daughter Tukwini pose with a bottle of House of Mandela wine at their home in Johannesburg. Photograph: Getty ...

Video of baboon burglars running riot in South African house goes viral

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:33:27 -0400

Footage of a gang of baboons filmed clambering through an open upstairs window of a Cape Town residence and helping themselves to food while running amok has become a viral ...

Barack Obama to make first trip to SA

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:02:57 -0400

Washington - US President Barack Obama will be heading to South Africa as part of his first major African tour since taking office, the White House said on Monday.Obama will also be travelling to to Senegal and Tanzania to reinforce US ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa.The president will be accompanied by his wife Michelle during the tour which takes place from 26 June to 3 July."The ...

Land claims Govt forks out nearly R1bn

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:58:54 -0400

Johannesburg - Almost R1bn in financial compensation was paid to land claimants in the last financial year, the department of land reform said on Monday. The department paid more than R993m to people who lodged land claims between 1994 and 31 December 1998, spokesperson Mtobeli Mxotwa said in a statement. There were 602 restitution claims settled during the financial year, starting 1 April last ...

ConCourt to hear disputed arrest case

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:58:53 -0400

Johannesburg - The Constitutional Court will hear argument on Tuesday on the arrest of a motorist who did not stop at a roadblock because he feared the officers were impostors. The issue before the court is whether the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) was correct in overturning a judgment of the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, which found the motorist, Jack Coetzee, was arrested and detained ...

Sars auditor was disgruntled court hears

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:58:52 -0400

Durban - A SA Revenue Service (Sars) tax auditor was unhappy over having to reverse her tax assessment of Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mpisane, the Durban Regional Court heard on Monday. Wahida Osman told the court she felt Mpisane had been able "to influence the audit process within the audit organisation". She was being cross-examined by Rafik Bhana, SC, for Mpisane. The court ...

Public service eyes childcare options

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:58:50 -0400

Lindiwe Sisulu said on Monday. "We have decided that the state is responsible for your child," said Sisulu to a woman who complained that she had been asked about her childcare arrangements during a job interview. The woman had lamented that men were usually not asked this question. "We are going to, in time, ensure that the state provides the necessary childcare facilities," ...

Initiation death toll mounts

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:55:22 -0400

Johannesburg - Police are investigating the deaths of 27 boys who attended initiation schools in Mpumalanga, police said on Monday. "Twenty-seven boys have died in initiation schools in the last two weeks," Colonel Leonard Hlathi said. He said 26 of these were now being investigated as murder cases and one remained an inquest. Hlathi said no arrests had been made and police expected the ...

Senior cop accounts for Marikana plan

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:55:20 -0400

Rustenburg - Senior police officer Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott has admitted to drawing up the plan to deal with striking Marikana miners last year, the Farlam Commission heard on Monday. A statement written by Scott in November was entered as evidence on Monday. In it, Scott said: "The plan or strategy that I prepared and proposed for adoption... was the first of its kind." Major ...

ConCourt to rule on firearms case costs

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:55:19 -0400

Johannesburg - The Constitutional Court will hand down judgment on Tuesday relating to the costs of an application to the Supreme Court of Appeal over the Firearms Control Act. Last November the Justice Alliance of South Africa and the False Bay Gun Club took the ministries of finance and police, the national police commissioner, and the Appeal Board of Firearms to court over compensation for ...

Man appears for raping pensioner

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:55:18 -0400

Johannesburg - A man arrested for allegedly raping an 80-year-old pensioner appeared in the Mankweng Magistrate's Court on Monday, Limpopo police said. Constable Moses Molepo said 27-year-old Jan Makgoba would remain in custody until he made a formal bail application on 30 May. Makgoba allegedly attacked the pensioner while she was alone at her house last Thursday. He allegedly strangled ...

SA officials visit woman held in India

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:48:01 -0400

Johannesburg - South African consular officials on Monday visited a South African woman held in Mumbai, India, for alleged drug trafficking, a government official said. International relations spokesperson Nelson Kgwete said the woman was confirmed to be a South African citizen. "Her next-of-kin has also been informed of the arrest. She did not give permission for any further information to ...

I took blame ritual murder accused says

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:48:00 -0400

Johannesburg - Murder-accused Harvey Isha had to take the blame for an apparent satanic ritual in which teenager Kirsty Theologo died, a Johannesburg court heard on Monday. Isha told the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court he had been fingered by Theologo's mother. "Kirsty's mom had already mentioned that 'Harvey and his friends did this ...

Scotts statement mirrors that of cops

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:47:58 -0400

Rustenburg - An affidavit by Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott mirrors a statement presented by the SA Police Service, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday. "The presentation made to the commission by the police is almost identical to Scott's detailed statement," ...

NASAs 19-Gigapixel Filmstrip of the Earth from Russia to South Africa

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:45:52 -0400

series of 56 images shortly thereafter. NASA stitched the pictures together into one long strip, which you can tour in the video above. As always, satellite images testify to the wonder of the biosphere. This particular set of pictures, though, is a simple meditation on the diversity of conditions on Earth, and the mark that humanity has left on the ...

Mandela movie poster unveiled

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:38:09 -0400

Cannes - A teaser poster for a film adaptation of former president Nelson Mandela's autobiography has been unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival in France, Channel 24 reported on ...

Mandelas name pulled into South African politics

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:55:14 -0400

Nelson Mandela smiles during a lunch to Benefit the Mandela Children's Foundation as part of the celebrations of the opening of the new One&Only Cape Town resort on April 3, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Chris Jackson, Getty ...

Cosco to Boost Asia-South Africa Trade in Mid-June

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:45:50 -0400

will increase rates for all shipments, including refrigerated cargo, on its trade from the Far East to South Africa, starting June 17.The hike will be $300 per 20-foot container and $600 per 40-foot and 40-foot high-cube container, according to the ...

ANC considers fixed conference venue

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:28:01 -0400

Gwede Mantashe said on Monday. "It is not working for us, this thing of rotating the conference and creating conference infrastructure every five years at a huge cost," he told reporters in Johannesburg. "In the next NEC [national executive committee meeting], we must take the decision that our conference will be in place X, and we can start working now for the conference in ...

Joburg contractors damaging water pipes

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:28:00 -0400

Johannesburg - There has been an increase in water cuts and sewer failures due to contractors damaging pipes while installing other infrastructure, Johannesburg Water said on Monday. "When contractors are busy with infrastructure work, like replacing fibre-optic cables in the road reserve, there is a high chance that the other underground infrastructure, like water or sewer lines will ...

Probe continues in schoolboy shooting

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:27:59 -0400

Cape Town - Two men accused of killing Cape Town schoolboy Enrico Martin appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said. Wilston Stoffels, 18, and Jevon Snyman, 19, would return to court next Monday after bail information had been gathered, said NPA regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila. Martin, 18, was shot on Wednesday morning when ...

Man appears after huge border cocaine bust

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:27:57 -0400

Johannesburg - A man accused of smuggling cocaine worth about R18m into South Africa appeared in the Musina Magistrate's Court on Monday, police said. Kudinga Bunyabvabu, 36, remained in custody and would be back in court next Monday, said police spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto. He was charged with smuggling and possession of drugs. Otto said Bunyabvabu was arrested on Saturday at the Beit ...

Plan a collective effort inquiry hears

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:24:10 -0400

Rustenburg - The police's operational plan for the Marikana unrest was a compilation of the input of all the commanders, involved in the mission to disperse and disarm the striking workers, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday. Major General Charl Annandale denied that the so-called "Scott plan" was the work of only one policeman, Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott. ...

Ritual victim paid for petrol

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:24:09 -0400

Johannesburg - Teenager Kirsty Theologo paid for the petrol with which she was doused before being set alight in an apparent satanic ritual, the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court heard on Monday. "Lindon [Wagner] gave me money to buy petrol as we got up by the BP garage along the way to the mountain. He got the money from Kirsty... I think he ...

Cellphone tower batteries seized

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:24:07 -0400

Johannesburg - A man trying to smuggle seven cellphone tower batteries into Zimbabwe, has been arrested at the Beitbridge border post, Limpopo police said on Monday. "It is suspected that these batteries were stolen from cellphone towers at several places in South Africa," said spokesperson Ronel Otto. The batteries, worth R26 560, were the size of car batteries, she said. They ...

South Africa Gupta Plane Scandal - Govt Report Released

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:16:07 -0400

Aircraft parked at South Africa's Waterkloof Air force Base which is considered a national key point. Cape Town - The police and NPA were responsible for deciding whether the Gupta family would be prosecuted for the irregular landing of their plane at Waterkloof Air Base, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said on Sunday. "That's the decision of the national police commissioner [Riah ...

IFP wants heads to roll over cancer saga

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20:53 -0400

Durban - The IFP on Monday called for KwaZulu-Natal's health MEC and the head of department, to quit over their failure to keep two cancer radiotherapy machines operational at a Durban hospital. In a statement IFP national deputy spokesperson Joshua Mazibuko accused MEC ...

Heroin worth R2.6m seized at Zim border

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20:51 -0400

Johannesburg - A man trying to smuggle heroin worth about R2.64m from Zimbabwe into South Africa was arrested at the Beit Bridge border post, Limpopo police said on Monday.The drugs were found in a secret compartment in his bag on Sunday, spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto said.The 38-year-old Tanzanian was arrested on the Zimbabwean side of the border, Otto said.He was expected to appear in the ...

Northern Cape hitchhiker jailed

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20:50 -0400

Johannesburg - A hitchhiker who robbed and killed a man who had given him a lift was jailed for 22 years by a court in Upington, Northern Cape police said on Monday.Budiki Semho, 31, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for killing Matswe Lokailwe and another 12 years for robbing him of his car, said Colonel Priscilla Naidu.The sentences would run concurrently.Lokailwe picked up Semho on the N14 ...

Ritual killing application fails

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:17:47 -0400

Johannesburg - Moves to have charges dropped against two of the people accused of killing Kirsty Theologo in an apparent satanic ritual, were dismissed on Monday. Their lawyers argued in the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court, that the quality of evidence against their clients was suspect. ...

UPDATE 2-South African worker demands roil shares rand

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:02:16 -0400

Mon May 20, 2013 12:20pm EDT * Main mining union NUM seeks wage hikes of up to 60 pct * Gold companies' shares drop, rand also under pressure * Threat of mines unrest is headache for ruling ANC * Wildcat strikes spread to auto industry (Recasts with auto strike) By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG, May 20 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand hit new four-year lows on Monday after Mercedes Benz said ...

Mantashe Zuma doesnt have to explain

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:18:19 -0400

Jacob Zuma does not have to explain his ties to the Gupta family to the ANC, its secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Monday. "Did the president take us into his confidence about the relationship between [him] and the Gupta family? I'm not sure if that is necessary," he told reporters in Johannesburg. "It is not the business of the NEC [national executive committee] ...

Marikana cops felt threatened

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:18:18 -0400

Rustenburg - Police did not believe Amcu leader Joseph Mathunjwa could persuade striking Marikana miners to give up their weapons, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday. "Had you believed Mathunjwa would have been able to convince the people to lay down their arms, you wouldn't have proceeded with the tactical plan?" asked Heidi Barnard, for the Association of ...

Taxi driver held for assaulting metro cop

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:18:17 -0400

Johannesburg - A taxi driver was arrested for punching a metro police officer over a fine in Langlaagte on Monday, Johannesburg metro police said.Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the taxi was pulled over after driving over orange beacons placed on the road to alleviate peak hour traffic.The officer was punched by the driver while fining him.Minnaar said the two wrestled before the man was ...

3 killed in Free State fire

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:18:15 -0400

Johannesburg - Two women and a child were killed when their shack caught fire in Phomolong, near Hennenman, Free State police said on Monday.Sergeant Mamello Mokhuoane said the women, aged 45 and 21, and a 3-year-old boy died on Sunday after an electric fault on a two-plate stove sparked the fire.Neighbours tried to break down the door but were not successful. When firefighters arrived on the ...

Motorist dies in Northern Cape crash

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:18:14 -0400

Johannesburg - A motorist died when his car hit a barrier and rolled on the R31 between Hotazel and Kuruman, Northern Cape, paramedics said on Monday.A female passenger in the Volkswagen Jetta was injured in the crash on Sunday night, said ER24 spokesperson Derrick ...

Mandelas daughters to sue dad for millions

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:37:43 -0400

According to the Star newspaper on Monday, Zenani and Makaziwe Mandela intend fighting an April 2004 Johannesburg High Court order which gave Mandela the right to instruct Ismail Ayob, his then lawyer, to stop managing his financial, personal and legal affairs. The court order barred Ayob from selling any of Mandela's artworks. ...

Persistent injuries force Zondeki to retire

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:32:22 -0400

Monde Zondeki has decided to retire from all forms of cricket following persistent back-injury problems. He was advised that even a major back surgery wouldn't be enough to help him get back to play competitive cricket. Zondeki, who is one of the five black cricketers to have represented South Africa in Tests, played six Tests, 13 ODIs and one ...

South African wage demands send rand to four year low

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:27:01 -0400

Mon May 20, 2013 7:27am EDT * Main mining union NUM seeks wage hikes of up to 60 pct * Gold companies' shares drop, rand also under pressure * Threat of mines unrest is headache for ruling ANC * NUM rival AMCU now dominates tense platinum sector By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG, May 20 (Reuters) - Big wage hikes demanded by the government-allied trade union in South Africa's coal and gold ...

Outrage over Zumas hell-threats to voters

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:07:08 -0400

A wide range of South Africa's political landscape is voicing outrage over President Jacob Zuma after he threatened non-ANC voters with ending up in hell. Also the Church protests that only ANC members will come to ...

Public service needs retraining - Sisulu

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:24:06 -0400

Empowerment through Service Delivery This title's primary aim is to critically appraise the challenges facing infrastructure and service... Now ...

Karabus feels like a stranger at home

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:24:05 -0400

After being detained for nine months in the UAE, Professor Cyril Karabus, an oncologist, returned home to Cape Town to fanfare and cheers. ...

4 die in horror Mpumalanga accident

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:24:03 -0400

Johannesburg - Three children, a pregnant woman and her unborn baby died, and two people were injured when a truck hit their car on the N12 near Witbank, Mpumalanga, paramedics said on Monday.Two children died at the scene of the crash on Sunday night, said ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks.A man, two women, one of whom was pregnant, and a child were taken to a nearby hospital, he said.The pregnant ...

Special needs pupils hurt in accident

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:24:02 -0400

Pietermaritzburg - More than 40 pupils from a special needs school were injured when their schoolbus rolled down an embankment in Taylor's Halt, near Pietermaritzburg, on Monday morning, paramedics said.Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said over 40 pupils were injured, 11 of them seriously.One of the pupils had to be airlifted to hospital while others were treated on the scene before ...

Gang of baboons ransack house outside Cape Town - video

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:27 -0400

A gang of baboons are filmed by a neighbour entering a house in Betty's Bay, near Cape Town in South Africa, and ransacking the property. The primates climb through an open upstairs window and race round the house, helping themselves to food in the kitchen. The neighbour tries to get rid of the animals using a broom. Most flee but one stubbornly refuses to leave an upstairs ...