MINERAL and metallurgical technology company Mintek has imported 60 tons of hazardous waste from Australia in disregard of a worldwide ban. According to environmental groups Groundwork and Earthlife Africa, the waste contains high levels of lead and arsenic and is in contravention of the Basel Convention, which banned the export of hazardous waste and of […]

ANGOLAN army officers have warned President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of serious discontent as troops go starving and even naked while allocated funds are missing. Young soldiers “are hungry, going naked or have no boots … and are being driven to quit their units,” according to a letter to Dos Santos signed by several dozen […]

TWO of the world’s leading medical and emergency assistance companies have merged operations in Africa to address the needs of corporate clients there. International SOS (SOS) and Medical Rescue International of Africa (MRI) said the “multi-million dollar” merger would allow them to provide better medical care and emergency aid to local and multinational clients operating […]

AFP, Windhoek | Wednesday OFFICIALS from the world’s biggest diamond producing countries met in Windhoek to find ways of curbing the trade in conflict gems, but their two-day conference got off to a false start with Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) failing to attend. The Namibian director of mines, Kennedy Hamutenya, played […]

ONE of three men sentenced to life imprisonment in June for the rape of two Belgian tourists has been refused leave to challenge his conviction and sentence by the Appeal Court in Bloemfontein. John Tee and two other men were found guilty by the Port Elizabeth High Court in June of raping two women to […]

ENGINEERING and contracting firm, Murray & Roberts, said it had won a R1bn five-year contract to supply castings for Ford’s new 1.3 and 1.6 litre RoCam engines. In the first phase of the contract, the foundries in Port Elizabeth, Brits and Cape Town will supply components for 55000 engines, rising to 180000 a year. The […]

FASHION retailer Foschini Ltd said it expected to incur higher-than-forecast costs in the restructuring of its sports apparel unit Totalsports, adding that it was upbeat about long-term growth of the group amid an expected pick-up in domestic spending. ”We will incur greater costs than anticipated in turning Totalsports around, but we’re pleased with the progress,” […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT and BUCHIZYA MSETEKA, United Nations | Wednesday UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has given Zimbabwe conditional support for its controversial land reform programme, saying Harare must settle differences over the issue with former colonial power Britain. Annan met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and three other African leaders – Bakili Muluzi of Malawi, Sam Nujoma […]

NIGERIA has voted to launch a wide-ranging inquiry into the activities of state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC). Lawmakers said a probe of the NNPC, which oversees Nigeria’s mainstay oil industry and produces crude oil in joint venture with major multinationals, could be a first step towards a wider investigation of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. […]

DAVID LUHNOW, London | Wednesday DESPITE a busy first six months, Anglo-South African insurer Old Mutual is still eyeing opportunities in the US, UK and emerging markets, company officials said. It had lost its bid for Edinburgh-based mutual assurer, Scottish Provident, which industry sources say has agreed to 2bn deal with the UK’s Abbey National […]