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Zenani Mandela’s black Merc arrives at hospital

Former president Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter Zenani Mandela-Dlamini arrived at the Pretoria hospital on Wednesday where the elderly statesman is believed to be receiving treatment. Her black Mercedes-Benz entered the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital before 11am. She stopped briefly and talked to police officers at the entrance on Park Street in Arcadia. Mandela-Dlamini, who is South

Mandela vigil continues

There was little activity outside former president Nelson Mandela’s house in Houghton in northern Johannesburg on Wednesday as the ailing icon entered his fifth day in hospital. A small contingent of media has been stationed outside his home since the news of his admission to a Pretoria hospital on Saturday. A police officer patrolled the

No white cadets for South African Airways

Solidarity intends campaigning against SA Airways after not a single white man was selected for its cadet programme, the trade union said on Tuesday. “In August last year, the SAA lifted the ban on applications from white males for its cadet programme after Solidarity launched a major public protest campaign against the SAA,” deputy general

‘My ANC donation in exchange for your government contract’

The KwaZulu-Natal government wanted a contract with a Cape Town-based Uruguayan businessman to be concluded quickly so he could make a donation to the ANC, the Mercury reported on Wednesday. Former KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Peggy Nkonyeni allegedly told this to Kantha Padayachee, who is challenging her suspension from the provincial health department in the Labour

Mandela enters 5th day in hospital

Numerous media houses remained outside a Pretoria hospital on Wednesday as former president Nelson Mandela spent his fifth day there being treated for a recurring lung infection. More than ten outside broadcast vehicles were parked close to one of the hospital’s entrances. Security remained tight at the facility, with six police officers manning each entrance.

U.S. Ambassador to Belgium denies sex with minors allegations

In a fast-developing story, U.S. ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman has been named as the diplomat accused of soliciting “sexual favors from both prostitutes and minor children,” according to State Department documents obtained by NBC News. Gutman denied the allegations, in a statement to The Cable and other outlets. “I am angered and saddened by

Narcissists love Facebook and Twitter

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are a big draw for narcissists, but the ego-boosting tools are used in different self-aggrandizing ways by different generations, a University of Michigan study suggests. The study details how young adults of college age and their adult counterparts use social media in differing ways to bolster their

Ron Paul: US might kill Edward Snowden with drone

During an interview with FOX Business, former Rep. Ron Paul explained that he was concerned about the well-being of National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden. “I’m worried about somebody in our government might kill him with a cruise missile or a drone missile,” Paul explained. “I mean we live in a bad time where American

Washington braces for death of Nelson Mandela

Officials in Washington and around the world are bracing for the death of longtime civil rights leader and former South African President Nelson Mandela, who is hospitalized again in serious condition for a lung condition. His aides have asked for prayers. “It looks bad,” said one U.S. official who added: “Washington is keeping a close

American senator delivers speech in Spanish

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, delivered a speech on the Senate floor in Spanish on Tuesday as he made his push for the chamber to pass his immigration bill. Mr. Kaine said he would deliver his remarks in Spanish but said he would put an English translation into the Congressional Record. The move highlighted

Inside the hospital where Mandela lies…

A virtually impenetrable ring of security surrounds the Pretoria hospital at which former president Nelson Mandela remains in “a serious but stable condition”. Armed police are closely inspecting every vehicle and everyone who enters the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Arcadia. Mandela – who spent a fourth day in the intensive care unit yesterday – continues

Mark Shuttleworth’s court application could sink SA exchange control

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth’s bid to have South Africa’s exchange control system declared unconstitutional could have a devastating effect on the country, the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) said on Tuesday. Jeremy Gauntlett SC, for the SARB, argued that the order sought by Shuttleworth in the High Court in Pretoria was “the most radical court order

Eastern Cape mayor blows R800 000 on ‘domestic travel events’

Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Ncitha spent almost R800,000 of ratepayers’ money on domestic travel for events, most of which did not appear on her official diary, Dispatch Online reported on Wednesday. The money was reportedly spent on luxury vehicles and hotel accommodation around the country. Documents which the Dispatch said it had obtained showed that

Mandela’s ‘last hill’

By Christopher Torchia, Associated Press The desk is spotless and books neatly line the shelves in Nelson Mandela’s office at a Johannesburg-based foundation that carries his name, but the former South African president and anti-apartheid leader hasn’t worked there for years. The meticulously preserved room is one of many tributes to the legacy of a