ASMAL BACKS CEASEFIRE NATIONAL Conventional Arms Control Committee chair and Water Minister Kader Asmal has agreed with the Ceasefire Campaign that the SA armaments industry is overemphasising its contribution to the economy. Ceasefire representative Heike Spiegelberg said: “The income generated by arms exports last year was a mere R900-million, which still needs to be balanced against state subsidies to the industry for research and development.”
KOORNHOF’S TWINS FORMER National Party cabinet minister Piet Koornhof became the father of twins on Thursday when his companion, Marcelle Adams, 27, gave birth to twins at the Panoroma Clinic near Cape Town by Caesarean section. Koornhof, a former ambassador to America, and Adams have been living together for the past five years.
‘CHIEF’ UP FOR FOR FRAUD NICHOLAS MBAMBATHO, aka ‘Chief’ Gcaleka, who last year embarked on a much-publicised trip to Scotland to retrieve the skull of legendary Xhosa King Hintsa, appeared in the Umtata Regional Court in full traditional regalia on Thursday charged with fraud involving R123 000. He is charged with using fraudulent cheques to buy large amounts of maize and liquor. Gcaleka was discredited on his return to SA with a skull he found in Scotland, when the Xhosa royal house seized the skull and DNA tests later showed it belonged to a Scotswoman.
CONGO CEASEFIRE? CONGO President Pascal Lissouba accepted on Thursday night demands that he ppersonally sign a formal ceasefire in Brazzaville, scene of bloody factional clashes for more than a month. Lissouba’s representative Gregoire Lefouoba indicated that Lissouba “has accepted to sign the ceasefire” personally, as demanded by his rival and predecessor Denis Sassou Nguesso. Lefouoba was speaking after joint UN-Organisation of African Unity envoy Mohammed Sahnoun visited Brazzaville with a new peace proposal from Gabonese President Omar Bongo, head of an international mediation committee.
CONGO’S COMMANDER SENAGAL’S Brigadier General Charles Nelson has been appointed commander of the proposed multinational military force to be sent to Congo, where a civil war has been raging in Brazzaville for over a month. Some 800 Senagalese troops will accompany him to the Congo.