TUESDAY, 11.00AM: THE British Lions rugby team has lost yet another player to injury; Scott Quinnell flew home on Monday with a strained groin muscle. Quinnell is the third player to leave South Africa within 10 days, close on the heels of lock Doddie Weir and flyhalf Paul Grayson. Grayson has a hip injury and […]
TUESDAY, 10.30AM The rand weakened to over R4,50 to the dollar on Monday, nearly 2c down on Friday’s close and its lowest level since February 5. The poressure on the local currency comes amid jitters causee by the imminent relaxation of foreign exchange controls. Market analysts believe the rand’s move above R4,50/dollar could see it […]
TUESDAY, 5.30PM LESOTHO opposition parties on Tuesday called for strikes and a civil disobedience campaign in protest at what they call the coup by Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle. “We are going to make Lesotho ungovernable and the parliament unworkable,” said opposition leader Tseliso Makhakhe, who is a deputy and president of the ruling Basotho Congress […]
TUESDAY, 11.30AM JOHNNIC’s Ikageng share scheme, involving a R600-million offer of 9,1-million shares in the industrial holding group to “previously disadvantaged” small investors, was 3,5 times oversubscribed, Ikageneg scheme chairman Hazel Ralefeta said on Monday. Launched by the National Empowerment Consortium, Johnnic’s new black controllers, in April, the Ikageng scheme raised R190-million before its close […]
MONDAY, 1.30PM A SENIOR policeman has implicated either former state president PW Botha or his police minister Louis le Grange in interfering in the 1986 prosecution of Witdoek vigilante leader Johnson Nxobongwana, in testimony before the truth commission. Testifying at a commission hearing into violence in Cape Flats squatter camps in the 1980s, Western Cape […]
MONDAY, 10.30AM The rate on three-month treasury bills dropped 20 basis points at Friday’s weekly auction, from 15,64% to 15,46%, a sure sign of market expectations of an imminent drop in long-term interest rates. The bills are bought by commercial banks at a weekly Reserve Bank auction. The Reserve Bank pays the bills back with […]
MONDAY, 12.00NOON FIGHTING has broken out in the Congo capital of Brazzaville between armed supporters of former president Denis Sassou Nguesso and the army. Nguesso’s heavily armed supporters are reported to have taken control of the centre of he capital and surrounded key government offices. Hundreds are believed to have been killed in bitter fighting. […]
MONDAY, 11.30AM A THIRD licence to operate a cellular telephone network will be issued before year’s end, SA Telecommunications Regulatory Authority chairman Nape Maepa said at the weekend. “There is no reason to wait. The licence hs been on the cards since 1993,” he said. Satra last week announced it was appointing a consulting team […]
MONDAY, 10.30AM FOLLOWING last week’s successful Samurai bond offer, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and his team will jet off to New York next week on a roadshow to launch a $500-million 20-year Yankee bond issue aimed at further boosting SA’s foreign exchange reserves ahead of lifting forex controls. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank is expected to […]
MONDAY, 11.00AM: THE British Lions suffered their first tour defeat on Sunday when Northern Transvaal beat them 35-30 at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria. The Blue Bulls, made up of young players, didn’t have to work very hard for their victory, as the Lions defence was weak in the first half. Lions coach Ian McGeecham […]