Bagram Air Base - US President Barack Obama landed in Afghanistan late Sunday on a surprise visit to salute the sacrifices of US troops in America's longest war.
Obama slipped out of the White House after dark on Saturday and flew in secret across the globe, landing at Bagram Air Base outside Kabul in the late evening.
Obama planned to meet top US military commanders and civilian leaders in Afghanistan during a short visit, but there were no plans to see Afghan President Hamid Karzai or either of the candidates in Afghanistan's run-off presidential election.
The surprise trip, pulled off under extraordinary security precautions, came ahead of Memorial Day, when the United States marks the sacrifices of its war dead and honours the veterans.
Pretoria - Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema is set to appear in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday to fight the final sequestration of his estate as compensation for unpaid taxes.
Malema - or any other interested party - has until 10:00 on Monday to give the court reasons why his sequestration should not be made final.
Last week Malema's lawyer, Tumi Mokwena, said the leader, who is a newly sworn-in Member of Parliament, would oppose the finalisation of an order to seize his assets.
Trust
In April, a trust was launched to collect funds to settle Malema's R16m SA Revenue Service (Sars) bill, but it is not clear if the trust has secured enough funds to help him.
According to court documents, Malema owed R16m plus interest after failing to submit tax returns between 2006 and 2010.
In 2010 Sars contacted Malema about his failure to submit tax returns. It took Malema 18 months, after many attempts by Sars, to file his outstanding returns.
Malema also failed to register his Ratanang Trust for tax purposes, and Sars had to do this on his behalf. Sars attached some of Malema's property to recoup the taxes he owed.
In May last year, Malema's incomplete mansion in Sandton, Johannesburg, was sold on auction for R5.9m - although it was later revealed the bidder could apparently not afford the home.
Malema's farm in Limpopo fetched R2.5m at an auction in June 2013, and several of his household goods were also auctioned off.
Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma's new Cabinet gives South Africans little hope that the country's problems will be tackled effectively, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Sunday.
"President Jacob Zuma’s announcement of his new Cabinet does not inspire confidence that South Africa’s major challenges - weak economic growth, unemployment, and corruption - will be tackled effectively in the president’s second term," Zille said.
Zille welcomed the re-appointment of Aaron Motsoaledi as health minister and Angie Motshekga as basic education minister to ensure continuity in Cabinet.
But, the retention of other ministers, or their move to other important portfolios, did not bode well.
These included Thulas Nxesi, who stays on as public works minister, and Mildred Oliphant who retains her position as labour minister.
"In particular, the move of Tina Joemat-Petterson to the department of energy is lamentable," Zille said.
"Ms Joemat-Petterson performed very poorly as minister of agriculture, and does not deserve to serve in the executive."
Zuma's decision to expand his Cabinet was also labelled a bad move.
"What the government needs is a leaner, more effective administration, not an ever growing executive," Zille said.
"It is clear that these new positions have little to do with efficiency, and everything to do with solving the ANC's internal political problems at public expense."
Moving Pravin Gordhan to co-operative governance and traditional affairs would negatively affect international investor confidence.
"We hope that over the coming years minister Nhlanhla Nene will prove that he can get rising government debt levels under control and that he can instil a sense of fiscal discipline that has been lacking in recent years," Zille said.
"We hope that minister Gordhan will bring his trademark efficiency to the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, which has underperformed for several years."
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