In an apparently senseless act of cruelty, thugs killed almost half of the East London aquarium’s flock of endangered penguins and four seabirds.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Archive for May, 2001
A fraud syndicate involving government employees and suppliers has been exposed in the Eastern Cape. News24 reports that the syndicate has already led to the death of one of those involved, Finance MEC Enoch Godongwana. The investigation has already revealed “315 fraudulent transactions with a value of R45.8 million rand, involving 29 officials and 41 suppliers”.
Popularity: 7% [?]
The Saturday Star reports that graveyards in Johannesburg are running out of space due to the number of AIDS victims being buried. Statistics are unreliable, but some estimates report that AIDS-related deaths will rise “from about 120,000 in 2000 to between 354,000 and 383,000 in 2005”.
Popularity: 7% [?]
In a report released on Wednesday, the Auditor-General revealed a severe shortage of teaching facilities in some provinces. The Northern Province needs 19,000 more classrooms, the Eastern Cape 15,538. Furthermore, 78% of schools in the Northern Province were without electricity, and 49% had no water. Of all the schools in the country, 93% did not have access to libraries. For those of us lucky enough to have had a decent education, try the following math problem: how many books would you have if President Thabo Mbeki did not spend R300 million on a new airplane?
Popularity: 6% [?]
A day after being released from jail, Alan Boesak has re-entered politics. Boesak told enthusiastic supporters that “it was white people who wanted him behind bars”, and that people were happy to “let their children go without school, let their children go hungry” as long as it didn’t touch them. What Boesak did not mention was that he was convicted by an impartial court of law, and that the money he stole was indeed intended for schooling and feeding children.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Until recently a convicted thief and fraud, jailed from stealing from the poorest of the poor, newly released “anti-apartheid cleric” Alan Boesak has been hailed by the ANC. ANC Provincial Secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha said the ANC would soon announce “what special celebrations it will hold to welcome Boesak back with the necessary jubilation which he deserves”. Would being made to pay back the money he stole be too much to ask for?
Popularity: 8% [?]
Senior officials from the Forest, Industries, Education and Training Authorities (Fita), closely linked to the Department of Labour, have been arrested for alledgedly stealing between R2.5 million and R3 million from state coffers.
Popularity: 6% [?]
A 16-year old schoolboy died in a Christian detention centre for drug and alcohol addicts after being found chained and hanging from his neck. The Beeld report claims that “patients are handcuffed and left sitting either in the hot sun or in the cold; they have to dig huge holes before receiving food, and are kicked and punched to ‘break down their rebelliousness’.” The boy, Logan Klingenberg of Pretoria, had alledgedly been addicted to heroin, and “had started taking drugs like dagga and ecstasy about a year ago”. (Claims of dagga and ecstasy use following heroin addiction would be highly suspect and unusual.) Of the detention centre, a spokesman said: “It is not a pleasant place, and is similar to the army. He [Logan] refused to work. He was then chained to the bars in his cell preventing him from either sitting down or sleeping.”
Popularity: 7% [?]
The US Army has cancelled an order for berets from South Africa, worth more than R35 million, claiming South African workmanship is “not up to scratch and does not meet deadlines”.
Popularity: 6% [?]
The Guardian reports that the allegations of a plot against President Thabo Mbeki – made against Cyril Ramaphosa, Mathews Phosa and Tokyo Sexwale – came from a “formerly influential ANC activist”. James Nkambule was suspended from the party for being “factionalist”, and has been charged with 77 offences of theft and fraud for allegedly siphoning millions of rands from state coffers using front companies. Nkambule claims it was “done to pay for ANC election campaigns”.
Popularity: 6% [?]
