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• Woman guilty of grievous bodily harm for spreading HIV
  Nadja Benaissa, a German singer, broke down in tears yesterday as a court found her guilty of causing bodily harm to her ex-boyfriend by having unprotected sex with him despite knowing that she is HIV positive. However, despite facing a possible 10 years behind bars, she was not sentenced to jail time. Instead, she was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 300 hours of community service.
• Cosatu speaks out against media tribunal
  Trade union federation Cosatu has come out against government’s proposed media appeals tribunal, saying that it could take the country down a “slippery slope” if implemented in its current form. Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says that the repressive tribunal “could not be supported until it was much clearer how it would be constituted”. He says that Cosatu will oppose any tribunal that can be used to intimidate the media into not exposing crime, corruption, incompetence or wasting of public money.
• Zulu jailed for three years for culpable homicide
  The Durban Regional Court has effectively sentenced Durban businessman Prince Sifiso Zulu to jail for three years on two culpable homicide counts and one of negligent driving. Magistrate Thomas Nhleko sentenced Zulu to five years for seven charges, including culpable homicide, reckless driving, failing to stop at an accident and failing to help the injured in an accident that he caused when he skipped a red traffic light. Two people died in the accident. Two years of his five-year sentence are suspended. He has been released on extended bail and given 14 days to lodge an appeal.
• Sadtu charged with violence, intimidation
  The DA has laid charges of intimidation and violence against two SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) officials. DA spokesperson James Lorimer says: “At a meeting of Sadtu members in Soweto on Tuesday, the union’s regional Chairperson Moses Senye and regional General Secretary Ronald Nyathi urged members to disrupt schools which were not on strike”. Lorimer says that after the statements were made, three schools that were not on strike closed – one after violent disruption, and the other two out of fear of violence.
• Court order prevents municipal workers from striking
  The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has been interdicted from participating in the nationwide public service strike. Samwu members or city employees who consider strike action must show cause why the order cannot be made final by September 8. Any municipal worker who goes on strike will face disciplinary action and possible dismissal.
• Cape Town heads to court in effort to control baboons
  The city of Cape Town is heading to court in a bid to force nature conservation authorities to help control baboons on the Peninsula. Mayor Dan Plato believes that the Western Cape provincial government and SA National Parks (SANParks) are jointly responsible for baboon management on the Peninsula and the funding this requires. Despite this, SANParks, the province and the province's conservation arm, CapeNature, have refused to provide long-term funding for the baboon monitor programme, which uses some 60 human monitors to keep baboons away from the city’s urban edge, where they have been known to trash homes and intimidate residents.

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