CREDIT rating agency Fitch IBCA on Monday affirmed the national claims paying ability of South African insurer Santam Ltd at AA+ and its international claims paying ability at BBB. The decision followed Santam’s R1,58-billion offer for rival Guardian National. Santam will finance part of the purchase through a R1-billion ights issue and has said the […]

ONE of the three suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Brenda Fairhead, 55, and her daughter Kia, 11, appeared in the Port Alfred Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, SABC radio news reported. The 16-year-old suspect’s evidence was heard in camera. Police are formulating murder, robbery and kidnapping charges against him. His mother asked that […]

ERITREANS should be able to access the internet starting next month following the arrival of necessary equipment, according to Estifanos Afewerki, head of the national telecommunications service. “We should have internet by the end of February,” Estifanos told AFP Tuesday afternoon. The equipment arrived from the United States on Monday after several months of delays. […]

EXCESSIVE rainfall in parts of the Northern Cape has damaged up to 45% of the grape harvest in the region, leaving the crop down 25% on last year’s, according to industry figures. Excessive rain, which causes crop decay, is estimated to have lopped more than R200m off the income of grape growers in the Orange […]

MARTIN PARRY, Melbourne | Thursday 3.30pm. THE African tennis express was derailed as three stars crashed out of the Australian Open, leaving veteran Wayne Ferreira the only one on track Thursday. Leading the exodus was women’s eighth seed Amanda Coetzer who had no answer to lowly American wildcard Kristina Brandi. The 28-year-old South African was […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 2.00pm BANKS owed an estimated R1,3-billion by Hyundai Motor Distributors have told Hyundai Motor Corporation that it has until Friday to back a plan to sell the failed car dealer, or they will liquidate its assets. ”Officials of the Hyundai Motor Company of Korea were today [Thursday] requested by the […]

STEVEN MANN, Cape Town | Wednesday 4.50pm. THE 75-foot sloop Zephyrus IV had opened up a big lead over its nearest rival Sagamore in the Cape to Rio yacht regatta on Wednesday, and with just over 500 nautical miles to go to Rio de Janeiro it seems assured of winning the race. While the two […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Accra | Wednesday 2.30pm. THE bitter struggle between Morocco and South Africa over who should become the first African country to host a World Cup threatens to dominate the two-day 24th African Football Confederation (CAF) congress which starts in Accra on Thursday. The key item on the agenda is the almost certain re-election […]

Burundi’s main rebel group said on Tuesday that former president Nelson Mandela has already brought peace closer.

TWO men appeared briefly in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in connection with the theft of a motorcycle that was destroyed by a bomb planted outside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on January 12. Faizel Felix and Ashraf Saban will appear in the court again on January 26. The motorcycle was destroyed by the […]