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NIGERIA
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CUBA - UNITED STATES
Fidel Castro Called Bush an Angry "Alcoholic"
UNITED STATES
“Alongside our famous individualism, there’s another ingredient” - Sen. Barack Obama
CAMEROON - NIGERIA
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SUDAN - USA
Sudan threatens to use force against intervention
U.S. 2004 Presidential Elections
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UNITED STATES
U.S. farm policy sows ire in Africa
UNITED STATES ENERGY SECURITY
Gulf of Guinea of increasing importance
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US Senate Probe Reveals Massive Theft of Oil Revenue
AFRICA
African Civilization under Homosexuals Attack
Zuma brushes aside fears of SA becoming one-party state
By Aziz Hartley, Cape Times, 09/08/2004
The DA's contention that the latest floor-crossing was fuelling fears that South Africa was fast becoming a one-party state has been brushed aside by Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
At a gathering where he welcomed NNP councillors who had crossed over to the ANC, Zuma said: "A one-party state happens in a country where the opposition is suppressed. We have one of the finest constitutions in the world and it provides for freedom to choose.
"At each election, voters cast their votes voluntarily and if they keep voting for the ANC, it would be madness to say they are voting for a one-party state."
He said the ANC kept on growing, and had no concerns about the next elections. This was a problem opposition parties faced.
"There is not yet a party that will challenge the ANC in an election and win. During the last election, I studied the manifestoes of other parties. They said nothing. The ANC has a clear vision. We symbolise the unity of all South Africans."
NNP defectors were invited to introduce themselves, and to indicate why they decided to join the ANC. Most said they always knew the day would come when they would be part of nation-building. Koeberg subcouncil chairperson Koos Bredenhand said his experience as a telecommunications expert would be of great benefit to aspiring technicians.
"I'm a true South African. Now I can make a difference in the lives of this country's citizens," Bredenhand said.
Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya said Zuma's presence showed how important the ANC considered the cross-over of NNP councillors.
The street that looks ready to explode
By Jonathan Ancer, The Star, September 08 2004
High school girls stand on the street, smoking and looking cool. They watch teenage boys kick a ball. Toddlers chase dogs. On the surface of the dusty street in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, all appears calm - but tension is seething.
The residents of Amber Street appear to be on the brink of exploding.
The street is only about 120 metres long, but it has brought the issue of the dire social problems in the community to the attention of the Gauteng government.
It was thrust into the spotlight after the murder of 15-year-old Dalene Louw.
My nightie was in her mouth and her legs had been tied together
The teenager was gang-raped, sodomised and stabbed before her throat was slit on August 27.
Dalene's killer was allegedly her friend's brother, who lives close to the Louw family. The 22-year-old was arrested last Monday in connection with the murder. On Friday, three other suspects were nabbed, and police are hunting for more members of the gang.
The family of the accused say they are living in fear of their lives - and the residents have declared war on gangs.
On Tuesday, as police took DNA samples from the suspects, 39-year-old Constance Louw told how she discovered her daughter's body.
Louw had been out with friends on Friday night, August 27, and returned home in the morning.
If the accused are released, there will be problems - serious problems
"I opened the bedroom door and saw Dalene on the floor. My nightie was in her mouth and her legs had been tied together," she said.
Dalene was a member of a school gang called Them Girls. On her calendar, she had written the gang's logo, Hard Breakers, and sketched a broken heart with a dagger through it.
She had also written the nicknames of her fellow gang members. Dalene's nickname was Dylan.
A neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said there were three illegal shebeens in the street and it was rife with drugs. "Dalene's murder has shocked the people on the street. Everybody is tense. It's a very scary place at the moment," she said.
"We don't know what will happen."
Another sister of the suspect said the family were not safe.
"I was hit on the head with a pole by someone who called me a murderer and warned that the family must watch out," she said.
Lloyd Phillips, 26, who lives on the street, said it was unbelievable that someone could attack the "softly-spoken and tiny" Dalene.
"The whole street is upset. There are no street lamps and we have set up a street task team to keep watch at night. The residents are angry."
He said that if any of the suspects were released on bail, their lives would be in danger.
"If justice is not going to do its job, the residents will take the law into their own hands. If the accused are released, there will be problems - serious problems," he warned.
Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Firoz Cachalia visited Amber Street this week to express his sympathy with the Louw family.
"From visiting Amber Street I saw clearly the relationship between the social conditions and safety issues," he said on Tuesday.
"Poor lighting creates opportunities for criminals, and we are looking into that. We saw a lot of young men loitering. They don't have any source of legitimate income - that's a problem.
"We went to visit an illegal shebeen in that street. The owners are living in abject poverty and are selling alcohol to underage people in order to survive.
"Clearly there is a relationship between the existence of illegal shebeens, abuse of alcohol and the kind of brutal, savage crime that was perpetrated", the MEC added.
Cachalia said the community needed positive role-models and should know that the authorities were concerned about their plight.
"There is a perception that they are forgotten. We must show them that we care by addressing the social issues.
"In the weeks ahead, there will be a concerted drive by the police to deal with illegal shebeens and root out the distribution of drugs," he said.
The alleged killer has been refused bail and his three co-accused will appear in court
on Thursday.
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