Harare/Johannesburg - Zimbabwe's health services, once regarded among the best in Africa, are "in a state of collapse" with its main hospitals closed and a cholera epidemic raging, a leading medical body said Wednesday.

The country's four main hospitals, in the capital Harare and the western city of Bulawayo, were "virtually closed," while smaller district hospitals and municipal clinics "are barely functioning or closed," the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said.

"Sick people in need of attention are being turned away."

Johannesburg- The number of South Africans who are confident about the country's ability to host the 2010 World Cup appears to be on the increase.

However, concerns on security and the class of the home team remained.

According to an opinion poll carried out by the African Response institute and released Tuesday, 69 per cent of 1,200 people questioned said they were confident that infrastructure for the football tournament would be finished on time.

Johannesburg - One of the leaders of South Africa's new political party on Tuesday ruled out joining forces with other opposition parties to give the ruling African National Congress (ANC) a real run for its money in next year's general election.

Mbhazima Shilowa, convener-in-chief of the Congress of the People (COPE), said the party formed by a group of senior former ANC members that were close to ousted ex-president Thabo Mbeki, was "going to the election alone to test our strength."

But COPE "will cooperate with all political parties" on an issue by issue basis, he said.

Harare/Johannesburg - Zimbabwean riot police beat striking doctors and nurses at a Harare hospital on Tuesday and sent them running for cover in wards, witnesses said, as reports emerged of dozens more dead in a fast-spreading cholera outbreak.

The protest took place at Parirenyatwa general hospital where around 200 doctors and nurses, from that hospital and Harare General hospital, held a demonstration to demand better pay and equipment.

Johannesburg  - When South Africa was awarded the right to host the 2010 World Cup football officials in the country embarked on an ambitious plan.

Not only did they want to ensure that the World Cup itself would be a huge success, they also wanted to make sure that they would be able to field a strong team at the showpiece of international football.

To facilitate the latter, the South African Football Association (SAFA) spared neither effort nor money and in 2006 they proudly announced that Carlos Alberto Parreira had signed a contract to coach the team.

The arrival of the Brazilian World Cup-winning coach had South African football fans dreaming of World Cup glory.

Johannesburg - The advertisements began in local media at the weekend. "The Champions are coming," they say. Come watch Brazil for only 70 rand.

In seven months' time, some of the greatest footballing nations will descend on South Africa for the June 14-28 Confederations Cup, an eight-country tournament held every four years in the World Cup host nation a year before the world's most-watched sporting event.

The United States, Brazil, Spain, Iraq, Egypt and New Zealand - champions of their regions - and World Cup holders Italy and host nation South Africa will battle it out for the title of Champion of Champions in a tournament seen mainly as a dry run for 2010.