RANDGOLD Resources reported an after-tax loss of $14,02-million for the quarter ended December 31, nearly double its loss of $7,5-million in the previous quarter. The London-listed company said Syama, in Mali, the company’s only operating mine, had been beset by problems during the quarter. These included power disruptions, heavy rains, down time due to the […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 9.00am. THE Assets Forfeiture Unit threatened over the weekend to clamp down on “gentlemen’s clubs” across the country, if they don’t clean up their act. The warning follows a raid on a high-class Gauteng brothel, The Ranch, which has been provisionally attached. It is now being managed by a curator, […]

THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa is due to negotiate with Volkswagen South Africa management to reinstate 1300 workers dismissed last week after an illegal strike at the Uitenhage plant. VWSA, who issued an ultimatum to workers to return to work or face dismissal, on Thursday fired 1300 employees for not heeding to […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 10.20am PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki on Sunday denied confrontation is looming with the African National Congress and its ruling labour and communist allies over his tough macro-economic strategies. In a setback for the Congress of South African Trade Unions and a boost for employers, Mbeki said in his State of the […]

MOROCCAN minister for youth and sport, Ahmad Mussawi, held talks with Saudi officials in Riyadh on Sunday in connection with his country’s bid for the 2006 World Cup. Mussawi, touring the Gulf Arab states to seek backing for the bid, met Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and the head of the kingdom’s sports and […]

FOUR bills aimed at legally burying South Africa’s apartheid history and cementing its young democracy have been signed into law by President Thabo Mbeki. The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Bill, the Promotion of Access to Information Bill, the Promotion of Administrative Justice Bill and the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Bill completed […]

SARAH BULLEN, Cape Town | Friday 6.00pm BUSINESS has given President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address the thumbs up in what it has digested as a market friendly statement — but one that lacked in depth and detail what it made up in for with good cheer. “As expected and in true political […]

NIGERIA have dropped their leading scorer in the African Nations Cup, Victor Ikpeba, for their decisive Group D match against Morocco on Thursday. Ikpeba, who plays for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund scored twice against Tunisia in Nigeria’s opening game. But Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere pulled out the striker during the match against Congo which ended […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Sunday 8.45pm SOUTH Africa’s labour laws are stangling small business, and have to be amended, President Thabo Mbeki said in an interview published on Sunday. Mbeki expanded on his parliamentary address, and told the Sunday Times that labour laws, planned to overhaul exploitative labour legislation, were a problem, as they […]

BOXING Legend Roberto Duran’s daughter has signed on with Golden Gloves and will be making her professional boxing debut in South Africa in March. She is the third daughter of a legend to turn pro, and follows in the footsteps of Mohammad Ali and George Frazier’s girls. Duran will be entering the ring as a […]