Woman linked to murder & mutilation of 9-year-old girl appears in court, and other brief reports ...

* The Competition Tribunal conditionally approved the merger between M-Web and Tiscali yesterday. The Tribunal has put a six months moratorium on retrenchments and after 12 months, the companies could retrench only 160 employees. – Business Report * A man appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court yesterday after being arrested on Saturday for allegedly attacking two policemen with a samurai sword at his home in Witpoortjie. The matter was postponed until January 26. – The Mercury * The 19-year-old woman charged with kidnapping seven-week-old Avela Mthethwa from St Mary’s Hospital last week, was granted R1 000 bail when she appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The hearing was adjourned to February 16. – The Mercury * Cosatu and its affiliated police and prisons union have warned the government that they were preparing to go on a nationwide service strike to demand the reinstatement of 363 prison warders. – The Star * The Klerksdorp Magistrates’ Court has postponed until April the drunk driving case against former Bafana Bafana striker Phil Masinga, who is also facing charges of reckless driving, common assault, obstructing police in their execution of their duties and resisting arrest. – News24