Legal action against Nationwide, and other brief reports
* A group of handicapped South Africans has threatened legal action against a local airline for allegedly charging extra fees to passengers who need assistance boarding, a Member of Parliament said yesterday. Nationwide Airlines would answer to complaints of discrimination before the Equality Court, said Vincent Gore, a member of the Independent Democrats party. Finance24
* A 14-year-old girl appeared briefly at the Estcourt Magistrates Court yesterday charged with the murder of her four-year-old half sister. The girl was remanded in custody as her guardian was not present in court. The Witness * Three bidders have been selected as potential buyers of a 26% stake in the second network operator, including Old Mutual Asset Managers and Indias Tata Africa Holdings. A third unnamed group has also qualified to compete for the controlling stake, said Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri yesterday. Business Day * In its response yesterday to public submissions on the draft Revenue Laws Amendment Bill, SARS rejected a Banking Council call for a delay in introducing a new system of taxing hybrid financial instruments, saying they led to heavy tax avoidance. Business Day * A priest will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court today charged with raping a 12-year-old girl. IoL * Trade union Solidarity says its legal services had won more than R33m in awards on behalf of members in 2004. It litigated 3 500 cases during the year. Almost half of these cases involved the unfair dismissal of members. Finance24 * Liberias Justice Ministry has begun freezing the assets of people regarded by the UN as close associates of exiled former president Charles Taylor, who is wanted by a war crimes court in Sierra Leone. Business Day * The Agriculture Department has invited the public to comment on the draft Genetically Modified Organisms Amendment Bill, which published in the Government Gazette on October 8. Daily Dispatch