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/ 2 November 2006

Banking costs too high, inquiry hears

While banking in South Africa is competitive there is a need to bring down bank costs, Nedbank’s retail managing director Rob Shuter said on Thursday. Nedbank became the first of the big four banks to testify in front of the competition commission’s banking inquiry public hearings into bank fees and the national payment system.

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/ 2 November 2006

Zimbabwe women ‘selling sex for fuel’

Women in central Zimbabwe are selling sex to truck drivers for fuel, reports said on Thursday. They say it is more profitable than being paid in cash, police spokesperson Costa Taduwa told the Daily Mirror, which is a private but mainly pro-government newspaper. It said the young women were soliciting truck drivers on the busy highway between Harare and Beitbridge.

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/ 2 November 2006

Minister: Foster families on the rise

The number of children in foster care this year has risen by more than 75 000 and the number of foster families by nearly 50 000, the Department of Social Development said on Thursday. Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya said more than 375 647 children were in 239 553 foster families.

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/ 2 November 2006

DA, IFP lambaste Nqakula’s extension call

South Africa’s two biggest opposition parties , the Democratic Alliance (DP) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), are sceptical of Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula’s proposal to lengthen the 48-hour period before an arrested suspect has to appear in court. The DA said on Thursday it was outrageous for Nqakula to call for the constitutionally enshrined detention period to be extended.

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/ 2 November 2006

England encouraged to bid for 2018 World Cup

England is being encouraged to bid to stage the 2018 Soccer World Cup. Uefa president Lennart Johansson told BBC radio on Thursday that the 2018 edition will likely return to Europe and that England had a good chance if it submitted a bid. The statement came after a Wednesday meeting with Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and sports minister Richard Caborn.

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/ 2 November 2006

Manuel spells out World Cup tax relief for Fifa

The Revenue Laws Amendment Bill introduced to the National Assembly on Thursday provides for complete tax relief on imports by Fifa-related organisations in the run-up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Introducing the measure, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said these organisations could import inventory for sale at designated sites.

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/ 2 November 2006

Zimbabwe unions fight expulsion drive

Zimbabwean trade union leaders have asked Parliament to stop a bid by President Robert Mugabe’s nephew to demand the state fire labour officials opposed to the government. Leo Mugabe has tabled a motion in Parliament for the removal of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions leaders ”for unethical conduct”.

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/ 2 November 2006

Kenya accepts more action needed to end graft

Kenya is showing commitment to fight corruption that has strained relations with key donors but recognises it still has more work to do to eradicate the problem, a senior World Bank official has said. The World Bank has delayed -million worth of aid to Kenya until it is satisfied that the government is committed to the fight against corruption.