22 December 2006
	Another Week

A BOTSWANA San woman celebrates after a court rules that her community can return to their ancestral homeland, the Kalahari desert region. The Botswana government has denied allegations that the eviction was to make way for diamond mining, arguing that the area was a poverty trap that prevented the Bushmen from accessing basic services. AT HOME Capitec Bank sells a 12,2% stake to Coral Group, a black empowerment consortium led by Litha Nyhonyha, executive chairman of Regiments Capital, for R300m. The Actis Consortium offers R16,25/share for international financial and risk services group Alexander Forbes. Some shareholders say the offer is too low. Lawyers for imprisoned businessman Schabir Shaik apply for leave to appeal against his corruption and fraud conviction, as well as his jail sentence. Taliep Petersen, one of Cape Town's most popular theatre personalities, is shot and killed during an armed robbery at his Athlone home. ABROAD Robert Gates is sworn in as the 22nd US defence secretary. He replaces Donald Rumsfeld, who resigned a day after the Republican defeat in midterm elections, regarded as a referendum on the war in Iraq. Two explosions hit Nigeria's oil industry shortly after a militant group called Mend threatens to detonate three car bombs in the Niger delta. The explosions affect the facilities of Royal Dutch Shell and Italian oil company Agip. A Libyan court sentences five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for deliberately infecting 426 Libyan children with HIV. Fifty-two of the children have died of Aids. Thailand's stock market suffers its worst fall in 16 years as foreign investors pull the plug in response to drastic measures to rein in the baht. The plunge triggers declines across Asia, and prompts a U-turn by the Thai government. SPORT Ernie Els continues his remarkable 15-year streak of claiming a golf tournament victory every year, by winning the SAA Open in Port Elizabeth, three shots ahead of SA golfer of the year Trevor Immelman. The SA batting top order again lets the team down, allowing India to claim their first test victory over the Proteas in SA. India wins by 123 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-test series. Silver Stars' remarkable season continues after the PSL log leaders defeat Ajax Cape Town 3-1 to win the R4m Telkom knockout cup.