Mvezo, South Africa  - When Mandla Mandela arrived in the home village of his grandfather Nelson 18 months ago to take up the position of "nkosi" (traditional leader), the locals just laughed - and wagered he'd be gone by the next day.

Instead he's now a candidate for the country's national parliament, following in his famous grandfather's illustrious footsteps.

Draped in a lion skin, Mandla - a 35-year-old politics graduate - had been solemnly installed as chief of the Tembu clan at Mvezo, Mandela's homestead in the Eastern Cape, six months beforehand.

Johannesburg, Apr. 15 : South Africa have backed off-spinner Johan Botha as a key player in their Twenty20 World Cup plans despite him being placed under the scanner for suspect action.

The International Cricket Council says Botha, who was also reported following the Sydney Test of January 2006, has been cited following Monday''s fourth one-day international against Australia in Port Elizabeth.

Cape Town (South Africa), Apr. 15 : Bangalore Royal Challengers coach Ray Jennings has said that he is confident that England batsman Kevin Pietersen will show his class as the skipper of the side during the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and "doesn''t care a damn” about the star batsman’s controversial reign as England captain.

Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif will be a part of the second season of the T20 extravgtanza, not as a player but only as a spectator!

"Asif will be going to South Africa to watch a few matches of the IPL," said the bowler's management company.

Asif, who already left for London on Tuesday for a two-week stint, will fly to South Africa to watch a few IPL games.

In IPL first season Asif had played for Delhi Daredevils. However, he was banned by the IPL after he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.

Master-blaster batsman Sachin Tendulkar did not denounce Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach John Buchanan's multiple-captain theory in univocal terms but categorically ruled out that there would be such experiment with the Mumbai team.

Speaking on this with the media persons, Tendulkar said, "Let them (KKR) do whatever they want. At Mumbai Indians, we will do what we want."

Johannesburg - South Africa's fourth democratic election since the end of the Apartheid era began on Wednesday morning with the opening of polls for overseas voters. Some 16,200 registered South African voters living abroad can cast their vote in the country's embassies between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm local time. Almost half of those registered voters are in Britain, according to the South African electoral commission.