JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Zambians wary of electoral fraud flocked to the Internet and social media on Tuesday to expose any irregularities in a closely contested presidential and parliamentary poll.

Using text messages, Twitter, Facebook and email, Zambians reported scores of perceived voting glitches and irregular poll practices by early Tuesday afternoon — the first such use of mobile technology in the southern African nation.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s refusal to recognize Libya’s new rebel rulers has again exposed the excessive bureaucracy that often stymies decision-making in Pretoria and could have disastrous consequences for its standing and influence in Africa.

South Africa’s snub of the interim ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) puts Africa’s largest economy at odds with the West and African economic rival Nigeria.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s refusal to recognise Libya’s new rebel rulers has again exposed the excessive bureaucracy that often stymies decision-making in Pretoria and could have disastrous consequences for its standing and influence in Africa.

South Africa’s snub of the interim ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) puts Africa’s largest economy at odds with the West and African economic rival Nigeria.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Clashes between youth members of the ruling ANC and police this week are signs that millions of unemployed young South Africans do not believe their aging leaders’ promises to lift them out of poverty.

Unless President Jacob Zuma and his government move fast to create more jobs for young people, there could be further violence which will scare off investors and deal a blow to the already sluggish economy.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African police used stun grenades and water cannon on Tuesday to disperse thousands of supporters of outspoken ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema who is locked in a party disciplinary hearing that could derail his political career.

Scores of Malema supporters hurled rocks and beer bottles at police and burned African National Congress (ANC) flags and posters of President Jacob Zuma outside the party headquarters in central Johannesburg.

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 30 (Reuters) – South African police used
stun grenades and water cannon on Tuesday to disperse supporters
of controversial ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, who
faces a party disciplinary hearing that could derail his
political career.

Scores of Malema supporters hurled rocks and beer bottles at
police, burned African National Congress (ANC) flags and posters
of President Jacob Zuma outside the party headquarters in
central Johannesburg, live television pictures showed.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – While Libya’s neighbours rush to recognise rebels who ousted Muammar Gaddafi, regional powerhouse South Africa is blocking the release of Tripoli’s frozen millions to them.

The policy reflects Pretoria’s strong ties to Libya’s former strongman that date back to the anti-Apartheid struggle, and frustration that Western intervention, not African mediation under the African Union, has again proven decisive on the continent.

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 10 (Reuters) – A wave of strikes in South
Africa has cost goldminers around $190 million in lost output,
curtailed the already struggling manufacturing sector and could
trim third quarter economic growth by up to 0.6 percent,
analysts said.

Africa’s biggest economy is nearing the tail-end of its
annual “strike season” which saw gold, coal and diamond miners,
and fuel, paper and pharmaceutical workers all downing tools for
higher wages.

JOHANNESBURG, July 29 (Reuters) – A unprecedented police
raid this week on South Africa’s mines department and a firm
linked to President Jacob Zuma’s son has highlighted the use of
political connections to amass wealth and may ease investors’
concerns about shady mining deals.

The police’s special investigations unit, known as the
Hawks, raided the mineral resources department, and offices of
Imperial Crown Trading (ICT) — owned by a business partner of
Zuma’s son Duduzane — on Wednesday over allegations of fraud
related to the issue of prospecting rights.

BOSTON/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – The LulzSec group of rogue hackers are threatening to steal classified information from governments, banks and other high-ranking establishments, in what would be an escalation of their cyber attacks.

So far LulzSec’s publicized assaults on Sony Corp, the CIA, News Corp’s Fox TV and other targets have mostly resulted in temporary disruptions of some websites and the release of user credentials.