Guatemala and SA gets electric spectatorship

Polokwane plays host to South Africas penultimate warm up match before the World Cup on Monday.

They take on Guatemala at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

The atmosphere at the stadium is incredibly festive. Fans have travelled from far and wide to blow their vuvuzelas in support of their team.

Thirty thousand people are expected to fill up the stadium and the Limpopo municipality believes that similar soccer matches will do great things for the expansion of the citys tourism.

Kick off will be at 8:30pm but the music and dancing have already started, an hour before the beginning of the match.

Edited by Deshnee Subramany

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Tourism SA gives international visitors the royal treatment

Tourism South Africa said on Monday it was making sure that the hundreds of thousands of fans who are arriving for the FIFA 2010 World Cup are being warmly received and assisted at various ports of entry.

The organisation said there has been a peak in the number of international fans arriving.

One American couple said they have been experiencing the warmth of the South African people since their arrival.

�I think theres a lot of excitement around. Its a great vibe. Theres a lot of Bafana Bafana jerseys which is very exciting,� they said.

There were also excited Argentineans who spoke to Eyewitness News after their national team landed last week.

�As far as Argentina continues, we will follow them,� said an one fan.

Tourism SA said each visitor entering the country in the coming days will receive a welcome bag with essentials.

The Airports Company South Africa said around 100 volunteers were brought in to provide assistance at its customer service desks at OR Tambo International Airport.

Edited by Deshnee Subramany

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SA journo was on ship attacked by Israelis

The International Relations and Cooperation Department confirmed on Monday it was trying to establish the whereabouts of a South African journalist onboard a convoy of ships attacked by Israeli commandos.

Israeli forces attacked the vessel early on Monday morning, saying the group would not let them search the ship for weapons. The aid workers said they were carrying much-needed supplies.

Radio 786 journalist Khadijah Davids was on one of the vessels. Reports said at least 20 people were killed and 19 injured.

The local journalist was on the ship which was carrying medical and food supplies to Gaza.

Davids mother, Magboeba, said her daughter could not wait to go on the mission.

�We are concerned about her. Its her first time ever away from home but she wanted the experience. We hope that she will come back to us and bring us news,� her mother said.

The departments Saul Molobi said officials were doing everything they could to assist the family.

�We have spoken to our missions in Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Ankara who are looking for more information,� he said.

Meanwhile, The Elders have joined international and local organisations in condemning the attack.

The United Nations Security Council is to meet in an emergency session this evening to discuss the attack.

Edited by Deshnee Subramany

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SA, Nigeria and Egypt not keen to play nice in Nice

South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt are competing for a permanent seat at the United Nations UN Security Council.

This race is becoming an increasingly burning issue at the France-Africa Summit that opened in Nice on Monday.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has given pride of place at this gathering of African leaders to presidents Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Egypts Hosni Mubarak.

At the preparatory meeting on Sunday, their respective foreign ministers engaged in what their French counterpart Bernard Koucher calls an animated exchange.

Koucher is urging them to be realistic and plug for a single permanent African seat on a reformed UN powerhouse.

However, they are holding out for two permanent and another two non-permanent seats.

Edited by Deshnee Subramany

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Makhaza residents take to the streets over toilets

Several Makhaza residents believe their basic rights have been violated with the temporary removal of open-air toilets.

Metro police officials broken down about 65 un-enclosed toilet structures on Monday morning – a move that angered the Khayelitsha.

A group of about 500 people took to the streets in protest to voice their dissatisfaction.

Last week, ANC Youth League members trashed the toilets after the City of Cape Town attempted to erect enclosures around them.

Andiswa Ngabi said the fact that their toilets have been taken away is something that makes the community unhappy.

�We are not happy. We are complaining about toilets without covers. Now, instead of doing what we want, they just take off the toilets. Were feeling that government destroyed us.�

Another resident from the area said the destruction of the toilets was not the only issue angering them.

�There is a lack of service delivery; electricity, toilets, water,� said Nobulumko Cabe.

But Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato believes the toilet debacle is a political ploy motivated by the youth league.

�In this instance I cannot understand why the broader community [and] their leadership cant bring the ANC Youth League to book.�

But ANCYL spokesperson Chumile Sali believes the city could have done a better job of informing the residents about their plan to take down the toilets.

�We are convinced that what happened today is a result of a failure to act when you lodge a complaint against the city council. And also the city council, which is led by the racist DA, is undermining the dignity of people living in Makhaza.�

Edited by Danya Philander http://bit.ly/duL99r

Starbucks to give SA coffee lovers a kick

South Africans will be able to buy a cup of Starbucks for the first time on Tuesday.

The company has made a deal with Southern Sun hotels ahead of the World Cup.

Starbucks is the worlds largest coffeehouse franchise, with more than 17 000 stores in 49 countries. Coffee addicts will now be able to get a taste at a number of venues.

Southern Sun MD Graham Wood said should this trial run be successful they will extend the offer to all their hotels and beyond the tournament.

�Starbucks is going to be trialled in four of our hotels around the country. Were very excited about the potential that lies ahead,� Wood said.

The Southern Sun hotels which will sell Starbucks products include SunSquare Montecasino Hotel, Intercontinental Sandton Towers, Southern Sun Cullinan in Cape Town and Southern Sun Elangeni in Durban.

Edited by Deshnee Subramany

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Remove the bush of evil

Mitchells Plain residents have demanded that government clear a notorious bush, which they say child predators use to hide their crimes.

An eight-year-old boy was rescued from the dense foliage after he and a 12-year-old girl were abducted and later attacked by a local man there.

The pair are still in hospital after their ordeal over the weekend.

Shocked resident said they did not expect such a brutal attack to happen in broad daylight.

The bush is also known to residents as the Station Stranglers graveyard, because the bodies of several of the serial killers young victims were found there in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

Residents have said the fact that the two were attacked in the same area where victims of the serial killer were found brought back unexpected emotions.

Community Policing Forum chair Michael Jacobs said residents want government to take action.

�We, as a community, expect that land to be levelled. If theyre not going to do it, the communitys going to do it. So were asking the authorities to remove that bush of evil once and for all.�

The 42-year-old local man who attacked the children is expected in court on Tuesday and community members have vowed to lobby the court to refuse him bail.

Edited by Danya Philander http://bit.ly/cnHET6

Government accused of lying about unemployment stats

A number of civil society groups have accused government and its research agencies of lying about unemployment figures.

The accusation came during a seminar on the recession and unemployment organised by the Alternative Information Development Centre.

The organisations gathered in Cape Town to discuss alternative strategies for creating jobs.

Leonard Gentle, a director with the International Research and Information Group, told delegates that actual unemployment statistics are closer to 36 percent, and not 25 percent as often quoted.

He said the research often excluded figures of the unemployed who were not actively seeking work or those discouraged by a lack of job prospects.

Gentle and fellow speakers said some of governments policies were just not geared toward alleviating the plight of the jobless.

They have even accused government of not having a commitment to a public position on unemployment.

Edited by Danya Philander http://bit.ly/bpOo69

Twenty Thai women believed to be human trafficking victims

Authorities are questioning more than 20 Thai women on the East Rand who are believed to be victims of human trafficking.

The Hawks raided a property in Pomona near Kempton Park at the weekend and arrested a woman for running a brothel but it was established in court on Monday that the woman was not the owner of the property.

The Hawks Paul Ramaloko said, �At this stage, the office of international migration, with the police and immigration, are busy processing all the Thai ladies to check the state of their condition. We will be guided by the outcomes of the interview.�

Edited by Deshnee Subramany

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Simple Beauty deur Andr� Nel n versameling klassieke refleksies

Gister, die 30ste Mei, was n unieke dag in
E-Musiek/Kraaipromosies se geskiedenis, met die amptelike vrystelling van hul nuutste CD, Simple Beauty, by die Watercrest Country Estate buite Pretoria. Ons noem dit uniek, omdat dit die heel eerste klassieke CD is wat deur hulle vervaardig was en ook die beste vrystelling tot op hede.
Die kunstenaar, Andr� […] http://bit.ly/9XMpYG