Washington – What do applause and typhoid fever have in common? They are both contagious – at least, they fan out in ways that can be predicted by contagion theory, a bundle of models and assumptions that can apply to the spread of everything from a hot fashion trend to violence to an infectious disease.

According to a paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society, clapping is far from a straightforward expression of appreciation. It has a mind of its own – like malaria! – and a surprising logic.
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Durban – The half-empty stands at Kings Park told their own story. The 10 000 unsold tickets in Mbombela Stadium, which had never before seen a Test match, confirmed it. A price of R450 is too steep to watch a Test, even with the Boks at full strength.

By the time the suits at Loftus smelt the coffee and reduced the price of an adult match ticket this week, the horse had already bolted.
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Durban – When a Durban man was shot by hijackers and fell to the ground outside his home, his two pets, Delilah and Buddy, rushed to his aid and reminded him why a dog is man’s best friend.

The Boerbul and cross-breed stayed with Anand Ramcheron, 53, and would not leave his side until the police and paramedics came to his rescue.
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Rustenburg – A motorcade is set to drive slowly to the “expensive” Swartruggens toll-gate in the North West to demand that its fees be reduced, Cosatu said on Friday.

“We have been raising this issue about this expensive toll-gate since 2011 and nothing has been done. This march, in the form of cars driving slowly, is aimed at causing a traffic jam at the toll-gate,” said Congress of SA Trade Unions North West spokesman Solly Phetoe.

The “drive slow” was scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon, and a memorandum would be handed over to a representative from the transport department.

“This is the most expensive toll-gate in the country, and it is robbing the poor of their hard-earned livelihood; we will continue to fight this.”

A task team formed to address the matter was not functional, did not have terms of reference, and was biased, Phetoe said.

“We want to put on record that the task team has failed the masses of our province and the motorists who use this road on a daily basis.”

The motorcade would leave from the Swartruggens police station and proceed to the toll-gate. – Sapa

The condition of former President Nelson Mandela, who is still in hospital in Pretoria, has become critical,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement on Sunday night.

He said President Jacob Zuma and ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa visited Mandela, who was admitted with a recurring lung infection on June 8, on Sunday evening.

“They were briefed by the medical team who informed them that the former president’s condition had become critical over the past 24 hours.”

Zuma and Ramaphosa also met with Mandela’s wife Graca Machel to discuss Mandela’s condition.

“The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable,” Zuma said in the statement.

“He is in good hands.”

He said the doctors also dismissed reports on Saturday that Mandela had suffered cardiac arrest .

“There is no truth at all in that report,” said Zuma.

Zuma appealed to the nation and the world to pray for Madiba,

the family and the medical team that is attending to him.

In an interview on ENCA, Maharaj added: “We are not in a position to go into clinical detail because we have to respect the ethical issues of doctor/patient confidentiality, privacy and human dignity.”

The information released to the media was based on what doctors gave the presidency and Machel.

Sunday’s statement also reiterated that Mandela had expert medical care with him at the time his ambulance broke down on his way to hospital, after reports on this on Saturday.
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By Obakeng Maje

Orkney-The police have arrested three suspects between the age of 26 and 39 for Armed Robbery in Spar parking,at Orkney on Saturday.

“According to the information received, the victim was allegedly locking the supermarket when a silver grey Golf stopped next to him” sergeant Kelebogile Moiloa said. 

Police said that there were allgedly three suspects inside the vehicle.  

“One of the suspects allegedly pointed the victim with the firearm and demanded the bag that he was carrying” Moiloa said.  

The victim handed over the bag carrying money to the suspects and they allegedly drove-off. 

The victim allegedly followed the suspects with his vehicle,but eventually lost tact.

He allegedly alerted the police.

“The suspects were allegedly involved in an accident where the driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle overturned” police said.  

The police immediately arrested three suspects and found an undisclosed amount money from them which belongs to the victim.  

Three suspects are expected to appear before Orkney Magistrate Court on Monday and police investigations continue.

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Johannesburg – The 40 minutes that an extremely ill Nelson Mandela spent in the icy cold while stranded on a Gauteng highway in a broken ambulance could have caused his death, said a respected cardiologist on Saturday.

Rapport said the military ambulance taking the former president to hospital broke down two weeks ago between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

American news service CBS on Saturday reported that Madiba’s heart had stopped.

Three independent sources confirmed on Saturday night that Mandela had to be resuscitated.  

When the ambulance broke down, it was 6 °C outside and Mandela’s wife, Graça Machel, who was apparently also stranded in the ambulance for 45 minutes was said to be “crazy” with worry.

Although presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said doctors were satisfied that Mandela had suffered no harm, many doctors have differed in their opinion.

Cardiologist Dr David Janekelow said any delay was a reason for concern.

“You want to get emergency treatment as soon as possible. If someone has already been resuscitated and there is a delay to get him to hospital it can have serious consequences,” he said.

Another cardiologist, Dr Richard Ne thononde agreed: “Mandela could’ve died next to the road while they waited for another ambulance.”

It was also alleged on Saturday that Mandela’s liver and kidneys were only functioning at 50% and that he had not opened his eyes in days.

All the presidency was willing to say on Saturday was that his condition was serious but stable.   

According to the Sunday Times, Graca Machel has been sleeping in a room next to Mandela’s at the hospital every night.  

The newspaper also reported that Madiba’s close family was deliberating on “just how much medical intervention was enough for an old and very sick man”.

Johannesburg – Equal Education [EE] has agreed to hold talks with Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, according to a statement on Saturday.

Equal Education accepts [the] invitation from the department of basic education to discuss the finalisation of minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure, said EE spokesperson Kate Wilkinson.

“The meeting will happen at the Southern Sun [hotel] at OR Tambo [International Airport] in Johannesburg on Sunday at 4pm,” she said.

Last week, EE said it was taking Motshekga to court after she allegedly breached an agreement to publish the document by 15 May. The matter was to be heard in the Bhisho Magistrate’s Court on 11 July.

On Tuesday, Motshekga said a re-draft of the document will take at least six months to complete.

She said she had been communicating with EE to update it on progress on the document.

Consultation process

Motshekga said she wrote EE a letter last month in which she indicated that the compulsory consultation process with the National Economic Development and Labour Council had not been concluded. When she received its report, she would consider all recommendations.

“It is important to emphasise that norms and standards cannot be published at the whim of EE,” said Motshekga.

“The South African government is a democracy that requires all involved and interested in education to have ample time to make input to the final regulations,” she said.

Motshekga accused EE of being disingenuous. She questioned the group’s sudden interest in the education of African children.

After an EE-organised protest over the delay she commented: “To suddenly see a group of white adults organising black African children with half-truths can only be opportunistic, patronising and simply dishonest to say the least.”

EE said it was shocked and disappointed by Motshekga’s comments.

Racist

EE chairperson Yoliswa Dwane said Motshekga should distance herself from these statements, which it viewed as racist.

“EE consists of people of every background and we are very proud of this. Any person who commits [themselves] to advancing the daily struggles of poor and working class youth is welcome in EE,” said Dwane.

“That these values exist is something that those responsible for education should celebrate, not attack.”

EE has in the last few days mobilised school children in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria to participate in marches.

The children called for the norms and standards to be published, and for safer and better resourced schools.

SAPA