News of the day

August 2, 1860 The Prince’s visit A special religious service was held in the Mohammedan mosque, on Friday last, to thank God for having brought his Royal Highness Prince Alfred in safety to our shores. The address presented by the Malay deputation reads: “Son of the Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, of England, the Priest Imaum Abdol Wahab, of the chief Mohammedan mosque in Cape Town, presents his cordial welcome (and wishes) him joy and prosperity, and the blessings of God.” August 21, 1860 Police court Rachel Harmant was charged with using threatening language towards her husband. The man said that for some time she had been in the custom of making a noise whenever he came home, and on one occasion took up a knife and attempted to stab him with it. His Worship bound the prisoner over to keep the peace under a penalty of £10. August 21, 1860 Simon’s Town slipway to be opened The Alfred Drouhet, a bark of 500 tons, is to be taken up, and the contractors are so very confident of success that they have invited nearly 150 of the shareholders and their friends to celebrate the event. A tiffin is to be given in the government school-room. August 18, 1870 The rush to the diggings From every town and village in South Africa, and we might almost add from every family and farm, people are off to the diggings. South African apathy has been thrown off, and from one end of the country to another the public mind is in a state of great excitement. Passengers form the Frontier districts to Cape Town tell that the road is alive with intending diggers on their way to the Vaal. In vehicles of every description, drawn by horses, mule, or oxen, the more wealthy travel to the fields while many are tramping it on foot, even from Cape Town, the distance from this place being some seven or eight hundred miles. The general opinion is that the diamondfields will offer employment to 10 000 diggers for the next one hundred years. August 19, 1884 News of Gordon The latest news of the safety of General Gordon will be equally welcome to the Ministry and the nation. It would appear that the General is in a little oasis of calm; and the next thing we may hear is that he declines to be rescued by the forthcoming Nile expedition. August 15, 1946 N.R.C makes a protest ‘African losing patience’ There was a complete collapse today of the proceedings of the Native Representative Council when a motion was carried unanimously to adjourn the session “as a protest against bad faith towards the African people”. Members said they were being held in contempt. The present Minister of Native Affairs did not appear in the council after his appointment until two sessions had been held. The Prime Minister had never appeared at any session of the council except at the opening meeting in 1936. Prof. Z. K. Matthews said: “A point is being reached where the African people are losing their patience. We wield considerable influence on our own people. If we use this influence on the wrong side it will be serious. We are not anxious to do this.” August 16, 1971 Banda: Bridging the gulf is not easy In a speech lasting nearly an hour, Malawi’s President, Dr H. Kamuzu Banda, yesterday afternoon told 700 University of Stellenbosch professors, lecturers and students: “I have come to act as a bridge between the races… to bridge the gulf of disunity.” Waving his horsehair fly-whisk in the air to emphasise his words, Dr Banda was loudly applauded as he added: “I want to bridge the gulf between my own people, the Africans of this country, on the one hand and the people of other races, the Europeans and the Asians, on the other hand. That is why you see me here now.” His voice rising almost to a shout, he said: “Do not fall into the trap of your own fear, your own suspicion, distrusting everyone.” Dr. Banda told how the Arabs had, for hundreds of years, raided the Africans and used them as slaves. “But what happened when I went to Cairo? Nasser hugged me and called me brother. My grandfather would have killed me, Nasser’s grandfather and my grandfather did not consider one another brothers.” August 18, 1977 Mitchells Plain – new hope A consortium of big businessmen in Cape Town has offered R17 million to underwrite construction of the Mitchells Plain railway line. Cape Town City Council has made an independent offer to help by lending the South African Railways R2.4 million as bridging finance to carry the project until next April’s budget. Seven major companies based in Cape Town have made definite offers of financial backing for the urgent transport project, and the package has been put to the Government through the Urban Foundation. August 18, 1977 Police warn against sheltering squatters White Cape Town residents and churches sheltering homeless black squatters are breaking the law, Brigadier T. M. Bisschoff, the divisional Commissioner of Police, said today. “We cannot allow people to squat in the white cities,” Brigadier Bischoff said. Housing squatters was a contravention of the Prevention of Illegal Squatting Act, as amended in the past parliamentary session, Brigadier Bisschoff said. At St Thomas’s Church in Rondebosch, where about 300 squatters are being sheltered in tents, the Rev Christopher Gregorowski said he had been aware of the risk of breaking the law when the tents were provided. “Our primary concern was to give homes to these people and we did not stop to investigate the illegalities of the matter,” he said. August 16, 1985 Jackson grabs Beatles hits for R100 million Singer Michael Jackson has bought the rights to some of the Beatles’ biggest hits for R100-m. Jackson outbid Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono, wife of the late John Lennon. Lennon and McCartney wrote most of the music. The young singer acquired the rights to the music by buying ATV Music, a music publishing house with rights to about 270 Lennon-McCartney songs. The Beatles lost control of the songs in a complicated takeover battle 15 years ago. McCartney and Ono reportedly tried to buy the publishing house in 1981 for R85-million. August 16, 1985 It’s a let-down! Botha’s speech brings great disappointment to many There was widespread disappointment at home and abroad today after the speech by President PW Botha at the opening of the Natal congress of the National Party in the Durban City Hall last night. In Washington, opponents of constructive engagement predicted that President Botha’s speech would result in increased pressure on President Reagan to sign a bill calling for economic sanctions against South Africa rather than help him veto the measure.