MPUMALANGA’S eagerness to beat its classroom backlog has backfired, with scores of its new classrooms crumbling less than three years after they were built. At least one R500 _000 school near Nelspruit is so damaged it has been abandoned altogether and is now being used by gangs of truant youths for smoking and sex parties. […]
SOUTH Africa’s combined gold and foreign exchange reserves rose to R54.7bn in September from August’s R52.1bn, according to Reserve Bank figures. Analysts had predicted combined reserves of R53.5bn, with a range of between R51.5-55.1bn. The bank’s net open foreign exchange position – a measure of its uncovered exposure to its forward foreign exchange commitments – […]
SOUTH Africa’s Western Areas is considering offers for its 50% stake in the South Deep joint venture with Canada’s Placer Dome as one of a couple of alternatives to unlock shareholder value. Western Areas said it would either sell the South Deep interest or using its cash resources to complete the project with a view […]
THE DEMOCRATIC Republic of the Congo has authorised two radio stations and one television network to resume broadcasts after banning them two weeks ago for breaking media laws. Radio Elikya, Radio Kintwadi and Television Antenne A had ”regularised their files” and resumed operations with immediate effect. Another seven stations remain banned for alleged irregularities ranging […]
A POWERFUL earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale has rocked south-western Tanzania, but there have been no reports of casualties. Police said there were three tremors in the space of 10 minutes which opened up cracks in some buildings. ”The first one was very, very big. My bed was shaking. I got out of […]
JUSTIN ARENSTEIN, Nelspruit | Monday OUTSPOKEN Mpumalanga safety and security MEC Steve Mabona has launched a fresh attack on the magistrate who implicated him in a damning 1997 commission report into drivers’ licence fraud, branding him a racist in an emotional public tirade. Mabona told a specially convened press conference he had no respect for […]
AFTER its recent announcement to dispose of its retail investments and focus on providing technological services, retail group Wooltru, together with Woolworths, is to launch inthebag, an online shopping business. Customers will be able to order a range of products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, pre-prepared meals and groceries from Woolworths using a warehousing model […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Windhoek | Monday THE culling of seals by the Namibian government off its shores has been slammed as cruel, inhumane and inadequately managed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw). Responding to an insert screened on Carte Blanche, a television magazine programme, on the current seal cull, Ifaw South Africa projects manager […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday ANGLO American and De Beers are to start severing their 70-year old cross-shareholding relationship after the rules governing inclusion in Britain’s FTSE 100 index were changed, according to reports. De Beer’s managing director Gary Ralfe said in an interview with the United Kingdom’s Sunday Telegraph that the company would consider […]
REUTERS AND OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Monday THE World Bank is to formally classify Zimbabwe as one of the world’s worst economic pariahs as its inflation rate nears 120%, with potentially damaging consequences for South Africa and the entire sub-continent. Zimbabwe will be accorded “non-accrual status” for failing to make any payment on its debt […]