South Africa

Ring of fire threatens CT
Blaze rages into Simon's Town CAPE TOWN -- The inferno which has raged on the slopes of the mountains on the Atlantic seaboard here for the past week turned on the wind yesterday and threatened to engulf Indian Ocean suburbs in a ring of fire. T...

Call for quick resolution of complaints
JOHANNESBURG -- Members of the police and experts say that the two criminal charges laid against police chief Commissioner Jackie Selebi less than three weeks after his taking office must be resolved quickly. Selebi has been accused of calling a ...

Selebi slams officer's charge against him
JOHANNESBURG -- The furore surrounding national police commissioner Jackie Selebi took a fresh turn yesterday when he spoke out against a policeman who has accused him of intimidation, insinuating he was dishonest regarding his cattle. Selebi, re...

Opposition to 35-seater taxis
JOHANNESBURG -- Gauteng's Top Six Taxi Management said yesterday it was totally opposed to the 35-seater buses that the government intends to introduce to replace minibus taxis, claiming the buses would run at a loss. The group said it would be e...

Mpumalanga ANC accused of changing Hansard
CAPE TOWN -- Two Mpumalanga opposition parties yesterday said they would ask the Public Protector to investigate claims that the province's ANC-led government had tampered with Hansard records of proceedings in the provincial legislature. Both th...

Gazi puts case at HRC hearing
CAPE TOWN -- The Human Rights Commission's (HRC) investigation into claims by a civil servant that the government's denial of the anti-Aids drug, AZT, is unconstitutional is drawing to a close. Dr Costa Gazi, head of the public health department ...

Housing 'creating problems'
JOHANNESBURG -- If South Africa's housing initiatives were not improved they would create additional health, security, education and environmental burdens for the state, according to a study ordered by the Foundation for Human Rights. The study, ...

Cabinet won't bow to Italian, Greek pressures
PRETORIA -- The Cabinet yesterday reiterated that South Africa would not bow to new pressure with regard to its free trade agreement with the European Union. "It emphasised South Africa's rejection of any pressures that will set precedents far wi...

Holomisa to become 'hands-on' leader
CAPE TOWN -- United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa said yesterday he would become more of a hands-on leader with more administrative functions following the retirement of his deputy, Roelf Meyer, from politics. Holomisa, who was sha...

Parliament staff list issues of concern
CAPE TOWN -- Senior staff at Parliament say the institution is hampered by slow decision-making, unclear political direction and a lack of resources. In a document compiled before last year's general election, but leaked to the media only yesterd...

Cabinet bosberaad looks at pro-market reforms
PRETORIA -- Macro-economic issues and job creation were among the topics Cabinet considered at its two-day bosberaad this week, Government Communications said here yesterday. It said in a statement the meeting focused on finalising the government...

Man claims crooks made him drink
CAPE TOWN -- A taxi driver here who claimed he was robbed of R500 and forced to drink a bottle of brandy was yesterday sentenced to a fine of R600 or two months in jail for drunken driving. Appearing in the local magistrate's court, he was also ...

Assembly meets today to pass tender bill
CAPE TOWN -- The National Assembly is to meet today in the first plenary sitting of the year to pass legislation providing for affirmative action in the granting of state tenders. The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Bill is one of four ...

Armed men rob diners
PRETORIA -- Twelve members of two Pretoria families, ranging in age from seven to 85, were on Tuesday bound with wire clothes hangers by four armed intruders who interrupted a dinner party, police reported yesterday. Inspector Gideon Thessner sai...

Hundreds pay homage to 'humble' Alfred Nzo
PRETORIA -- The late former foreign minister, Alfred Nzo, was a humble and intelligent person who sacrificed his youth to fight for the liberation of his fellow countrymen, speakers at a memorial service said yesterday. Nzo, also former African N...

DP urges SAA to explain Sun Air demise
CAPE TOWN -- The Democratic Party has called on the departments of Public Enterprise and Transport to ensure that SAA "comes clean on the messy Sun Air saga" when it testifies before the Sun Air liquidation inquiry later this month. So far, SAA ...