Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 1 June 2006 — Page 43

The Muncie Times • June 1, 2006 • Page 43

AFRICAN B R I E F S

COSATU strike cripples South Africa By Braden Ruddy JOHANNESBURG. SOUTH AFRICA (GIN)-Hundreds of thousands of South African workers went on strike on Thursday to protest continued job losses, despite a booming national economy. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) led the 1-day strike that crippled business districts in Johannesburg and Durban, closed schools, and hurt the nation's gold mines. "At a time when we are told the economy is booming, it is disgusting that so many of our citizens are living in abject poverty, primarily because they cannot find work, or have to survive in low-paid, insecure, temporary jobs," said COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven. More than 100,000 jobs have been cut in the past 3 years, with the mining and textile industries being hit particularly hard. South Africa's official unemployment rate is 26.5 percent, but some analysts argue that it could be as high as 40 percent In Cape Town, the strikes turned violent with striking security guards breaking shop windows and police opening fire on them

with rubber bullets. "Absolutely nothing entitles anybody, whatever the circumstances, to engagein the violence that we have seen," South African President Thabo Mbeki said in response to the violence in Cape Town. However in the wake of the violence, COSATU Western Cape general secretary Tony Ehrenreich has called for the city and provincial government to launch an investigation into acts of "police brutality" against striking

workers.

""I'd say that the security bosses and their history in the SA Defence Force, and their history in oppressing and disrespecting our people would certainly have a role to play in this," Ehrenreich stated. SA soccer ace, who once played for U.S. teams,

dies at 50

By Braden Ruddy (GIN)—Apartheid nearly derailed the exemplary career of soccer player Patrick (Ace) Ntsoelengoe. With South Africa expelled from the world games over its racist treatment of blacks, the "Pele" of South Africa jumped to the United States, playing 11 seasons in the North American Soccer League and racking up victories from Miami to Minnesota.

He was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003. Ntsoelengoe was found dead of natural causes in his car in Lenasia, South Africa. At the time of his death. May 8, he was coach of the Kaizer

"They were soccer players, but to the rest of us they were more than mere mortals." Ntsoelengoe is survived by his wife and two daughters.

(Committee) regime are also accused of the murders of Emperor Haile Selassie, whom they toppled in a 1974 coup, and Orthodox Patriarch Abuna

Tefelows.

The evidence against

includes execution orders and video footage of assassinations and torture of detainees. If found guilty of the

Mengistu atrocities

Chiefs Youth trial verdict postponed Mengistu, who is Development Program, until next January 2007 approaching 70,

He was 50.

At his funeral, attended (GIN)-As the

by more than 5,000 fans, marathon genocide trial former teammate Kaizer of former dictator Motaung said: "We are Mengistu Haile Miriam

gathered to pay our last was winding down and a charges, all the defenrespects to a fallen icon verdict by Ethiopia's dants face life in prison whose grace and contri- Federal High or the death penalty bution to our society Court was expected under Ethiopian law.

found fame from his soon, it was suddenly ability to masterfully announced that the judgmanipulate a little round ment had been put off to

toy called a soccer ball." January 2007. Soccer's governing Mengistu is accused of

body, FIFA, expelled a plethora of brutal (GIN)-Thousands of South Africa from inter- atrocities committed residents of Mogadishu, national competition during his 17-year beleaguered Somalia's from 1976 until 1992 as regime. capital, fled the capital a result of the country's The decade-long trial city after an outbreak of apartheid system. has been one of Africa's fighting between Islamic

Rival militias clash,

force Mogadishu residents to flee

When South Africa was longest criminal pro-

isolated from the world, ceedings.

Ace

magic

kept local soccer alive," said Premier Soccer League chairman. Dr

Irvin Khoza.

Journalist Martin Dlamini of Swaziland, in a letter to the Sowetan newspaper, wrote:

militia and a U.S.backed warlord alliance which left over 60 dead since tensions came to a head last Wednesday. Heavily armed gunmen continue to patrol the streets and residents said fresh hostilities

Ntsoelengoe's Mengistu. living in rela-

tive comfort in Zimbabwe, was tried in

absentia.

The court heard testi-

mony from 730 witnesses and saw more than

3,000 documents placed could erupt at any time, into evidence. "There is no gunfire and

The alleged atrocities I haven't seen any vio-

"During that wicked were committed during lence but the level of apartheid nightmare that the 1977-78 "Red militia presence has not threatened the very Terror" period in which gone down," said

tens "of thousands of dent Dahir

or Alasow to a

being tens of thousands of our souls, a few people were killed young men proudly took disappeared

up the challenge and in their craft symbolized the completeness of a heroic manhood to which we all aspired.

Mengistu's bid to turn Ethiopia into a Sovietstyle workers 1 state. The top leaders of the co-called "Derg”

resi-

Abdulle reporter

after in specting the four neighborhoods by car. Somalia has had no effective government since warlords over continued on page 44