South Africa

Local govt poll declared free and fair
PRETORIA -- With only 1,5 percent of local government election results still outstanding, Independent Electoral Commission chairwoman Brigalia Bam last night declared the elections free and fair. "I can declare without reservation the local gove...

Murdered ANC man elected councillor
CAPE TOWN -- A dead man has been elected as a ward councillor in Port St Johns in Transkei. The African National Congress candidate for Ward 6 in the local council, Richard Mahlathini, was assassinated at his home last week, but his name stayed o...

Mbeki slates 'unholy alliance'
JOHANNESBURG -- African National Congress president Thabo Mbeki yesterday labelled the country's opposition an unholy alliance, united by hatred for the ruling party rather than a commitment to serve the interests of the people. Addressing about ...

UN summit agrees on DDT use for malaria
JOHANNESBURG -- Consensus is growing among representatives of the 129 countries at the UN summit this week, which aims to eliminate the use of some of the world's deadliest chemicals, that restricted use of DDT for malaria control is acceptable. ...

Man dies, cholera in 2 more rivers
PIETERMARITZBURG -- Two more rivers in KwaZulu-Natal have tested positive for cholera since Wednesday and one more man, 50, has died of the disease, the provincial Health Department said yesterday. The death toll since August stands at 38. Spoke...

7 in court for Katlehong shooting
JOHANNESBURG -- Seven of the eight men arrested in connection with the murder of six people in Mandela Park in Katlehong on the East Rand appeared in the Alberton Magistrate's Court yesterday, police said. Three of the men were charged with murde...

ANC accepts DA victory in WCape
CAPE TOWN -- The ANC yesterday conceded victory to the DA in the local government election in the Western Cape and recommitted itself to working against poverty and racism in the province. Although the official allocation of the 200 council seats...

HSRC: elections get thumbs up
PRETORIA -- Only about a quarter of South Africans aged between 18 and 29 voted in Tuesday's local government election, according to Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) estimates released yesterday. About half of non-voters in that group were...

Telkom to raise tariffs by 5,4%
CAPE TOWN -- The cost of making a phone call will rise from January 4 next year, following the announcement by Telkom yesterday that it will increase its average tariff "on those services it provides exclusively" by 5,4%. However, the minimum cal...

Global maths, science study repeated SA pupils still bottom of class
PRETORIA -- An international study has found that South African pupils remained behind other countries in mathematics and science, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) said. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study was first un...

Accused found dead in prison cell
DURBAN -- A 33-year-old murder accused was found dead in her cell at Westville prison here yesterday morning, police reported. Director Bala Naidoo said Christina Radloff was found with a shoelace tied around her neck, leading police to suspect s...

Inferior service delivery for DA voters denied
DURBAN -- The Democratic Alliance yesterday urged President Thabo Mbeki to discipline KwaZulu-Natal African National Congress provincial chairman S'bu Ndebele for comments he reportedly made during a victory rally here on Wednesday. DA spokesman ...

IEC extends election objections deadline
PRETORIA -- The Independent Electoral Commission has agreed to extend the deadline for the hearing of objections from political parties on the outcome of Tuesday's local government elections. IEC chairman Brigalia Bam said at the commission's n...

Houghton still liberal suburb says Suzman
JOHANNESBURG -- Veteran politician Helen Suzman yesterday said Houghton, which she had represented as an MP for 36 years, was still a liberal suburb. It is also home to former president Nelson Mandela. Commenting on African National Congress can...

One humanoid, one vote
PRETORIA -- Wall-to-wall local government has dawned on the cradle of humankind with the ANC elected to look after the municipal needs of Mrs Ples and family. The party won the election in Sterkfontein on Gauteng's West Rand, a world heritage site...

Didiza happy with way foot-and-mouth handled
PRETORIA -- Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza said yesterday she was happy with the way the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was handled in KwaZulu-Natal. Didiza was speaking the day after the quarantine zone in the province wa...