Johannesburg - A group of human rights groups on Wednesday warned that "millions" of people would die of hunger and disease in the Sudanese province of Darfur unless the government of war-crimes-accused President Omar al-Bashir allowed aid agencies to operate.

The government shut out 13 international and three local aid agencies on March 4 after the International Criminal Court issued an international warrant for al-Bashir's arrest for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Johannesburg  - World football governing body FIFA on Monday said 27 artificial football turfs would be built around South Africa, including some of its poorest areas, as part of the tournament's legacy programme.

The turfs would be completed in time for the World Cup, FIFA officials said in Johannesburg. South Africa's lottery body would support the project with 81 millions rands (8.9 million dollars).

Johannesburg  - South Africa's presidential front-runner Jacob Zuma on Thursday blasted what he called his country's "soft approach" on crime and hinted he was not adverse to vigilante justice.

Zuma was addressing leaders of the country's Afrikaner minority, whom he praised as the only "true South Africans" among the country's white population.

Zuma is campaigning for general elections on April 22 that his African National Congress (ANC) party is expected to win.

Johannesburg- The three killers of South Africa's reggae star Lucky Dube were sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.

Dube, 43, was shot dead in Johannesburg in October 2007 when the three men tried to rob him of his car.

In handing down sentence, the judge in the High Court in Johannesburg described his murder as "senseless" and "callous."

The three were also sentenced to an additional 15 years for the botched car-jacking and received further time for additional crimes.

Johannesburg  - South Africa's presidential frontrunner Jacob Zuma on Thursday appealed to the leaders of the country's Afrikaner minority, telling them Afrikaners were the only "truly African" whites.

Zuma is campaigning for general elections on April 22 that his African National Congress (ANC) party is expected to win.

This election is more exciting than previous elections since democracy in 1994 because of the emergence of a breakaway party of former senior ANC members.