JOHANNESBURG, Feb 9 (Reuters) – South African
President Jacob Zuma on Thursday promised to keep the country’s
powerful mining sector “globally competitive”, the latest
comment from a senior government official to knock down the
prospects of nationalising the mines.

In his annual State of the Nation address, Zuma also pledged
a 300 billion rand ($40 billion), seven-year investment plan for
state rail and ports firm Transnet to increase the shipping of
iron ore and coal, whose exports have been hampered by
logistical bottlenecks.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 4 (Reuters) – South Africa’s ruling
ANC on Saturday upheld a decision to ban youth leader Julius
Malema for five years for bringing the movement into disrepute,
sending into the political wilderness a noisy rebel who had
called for the nationalisation of mines.

The decision by an African National Congress appeals panel
is likely to alter the South African political landscape by
sidelining one of the most vocal foes of President Jacob Zuma.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s ruling ANC on Saturday upheld a decision to ban youth leader Julius Malema for five years for bringing the movement into disrepute, sending into the political wilderness a noisy rebel who had called for the nationalisation of mines.

The decision by an African National Congress appeals panel is likely to alter the South African political landscape by sidelining one of the most vocal foes of President Jacob Zuma.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – The first blow to Martha Netshiozwe’s future came when her parents died of AIDS. The second came when she ran out of money and had to drop out of a South African high school.

Netshiozwe, 23, is a product of the first post-apartheid generation who entered a new and aspiring education system which aimed to heal the economic divisions created by the white-minority government. But like many, she left without the skills to qualify for anything other than manual labor.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – The first blow to Martha Netshiozwe’s future came when her parents died of AIDS. The second came when she ran out of money and had to drop out of a South African high school.

Netshiozwe, 23, is a product of the first post-apartheid generation who entered a new and aspiring education system which aimed to heal the economic divisions created by the white-minority government. But like many, she left without the skills to qualify for anything other than manual labour.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16 (Reuters) – The appeal that will
decide the future of South African firebrand Julius Malema
starts next week, with analysts saying it will likely uphold a
five-year suspension from the ruling party that would send the
youth leader into the political wilderness.

Malema, who rose to prominence with calls to nationalise
mines and seize white-owned farm land, is fighting for his
political life after an African National Congress (ANC)
disciplinary committee in November found him guilty of bringing
the party into disrepute and expelled him for five years.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16 (Reuters) – The appeal that will
decide the future of South African firebrand Julius Malema
starts next week, with analysts saying it will likely uphold a
five-year suspension from the ruling party that would send the
youth leader into the political wilderness.

Malema, who rose to prominence with calls to nationalise
mines and seize white-owned farm land, is fighting for his
political life after an African National Congress (ANC)
disciplinary committee in November found him guilty of bringing
the party into disrepute and expelled him for five years.

HENLEY ON KLIP, South Africa, Jan 14 (Reuters) – Talk
show host Oprah Winfrey proudly saw the first class of girls
from disadvantaged backgrounds graduate on Saturday from her $40
million school in South Africa.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girl celebrated the
graduation of 72 girls. Wearing white dresses, the girls were
cheered on by their families.

HENLEY ON KLIP, South Africa (Reuters) – Oprah Winfrey feels a new freedom after leaving her wildly successful daily TV talk show behind and taking a new course seeking interviews with newsmakers on their own turf.

“I love the freedom of not being tethered to that chair and having to do an interview based upon filling a quota on a number of shows,” Winfrey told Reuters in South Africa, where she will attend at the weekend the first graduation of high school seniors from her Oprah Winfrey Leadership for Girls.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – One person was killed and nearly 20 injured in a stampede on Tuesday by students trying to register at the University of Johannesburg, reflecting desperate demand for higher education among the poor in Africa’s largest economy.

Thousands of potential applicants had lined up for days for about 800 slots at the university, most of them from poor families but who had scored high enough on national exams to be considerated for higher education.